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Zoo Officials: Pungent Corpse Flower Has Bloomed

BOSTON (AP) — Officials at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston say a flower dubbed the corpse flower because of its pungent aroma has bloomed and will be on display.

A zoo spokeswoman announced Sunday that the flower, named Pugsley by zoo staff, was in bloom. The bloom period for the corpse flower is only 24 to 48 hours.

The Amorphophallus titanium is known as the corpse flower because it gives off an aroma that the zoo describes as similar to that of a rotting carcass.

The zoo says the flower originates from Sumatra and has demanding environmental requirements. The flower often goes many years between blooms.

The zoo says the blooms are "among the most gigantic of flowers," with some blooms measuring nine feet high and six feet across.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Kim Tunnicliffe reports:

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