How a corpse plant makes its terrible smell − it has a strategy, and its female flowers do most of the work

The corpse plant's bloom appears huge, but its flowers are actually tiny and found in rows inside its floral chamber. John Eisele/Colorado State University

Sometimes, doing research stinks. Quite literally.

Corpse plants are rare, and seeing one bloom is even rarer. They open once every seven to 10 years, and the blooms last just two nights. But those blooms – red, gorgeous and massive at over 10 feet (3 meters) tall – stink. Think rotting flesh or decaying fish.