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The exotic plant causing a stink in Reading

Paul Coia found out more about Amorphophallus, one of the world's smelliest plants, and why it is already kicking up quite a stink in Reading.

He was joined by Dr Jonathan Mitchley, Associate Professor of Field Botany at the University of Reading.

Dr Jonathan Mitchley:

"I run our Masters in Botany courses and we like to show our students not just some plants from Britain but also from around the world - and they've been getting really excited about this stinky plant.

"It's called the Devil's tongue, and it's about five foot tall.

"This stinky plant is all about being pollinated. It produces the smell of rotting flesh, and it attracts flies of course... they home in on the plant thinking it's a corpse, and in doing so they'll pollinate all the tiny flowers."

Release date:

Duration:

2 minutes