> >On the subject of odour Boyce says " A palaestinum typically >produces a smell similar to fermenting fruit, which is actually >quite pleasant. On the other hand A dioscoridis smalls strongly of >donkey-dung." He then goes on to report that some populations are > scentless and others have been reported smelling weakly of dung >and carrion !!! > Rob, Can't say I have been that familiar with donkey-excrement, but I'll take your word for it. I was told originally that is smelt like a dead possum..... which I think was pretty accurate for mine when they flowered. The worst I've ever smelt though was Typhonium brownii on the evening it opened. I SWEAR that the air itself was melting at the smell of it <grin>. Two open flowers on dioscoridis or a Dracunculus bloom did not stand near it on smell (obviously these all flowered at different times so I was running on memory for comparison), or at least not the one that flowered for me last year. We had it in a pot right outside the back patio sliding door and I didn't even realise it had opened.... I came around the corner of the house and up the stairs to the back verandah and it hit me square in teh face. Needless to say I moved it quite rapidly AWAY from the back door of the house. Supposedly Helicodicerus muscivorus is dreadful as well, but mine that has flowered for me twice was unscented as far as I could tell... neither good nor bad, and that was both years so maybe I was lucky and got a smell-less one (I think the Typhonium brownii more than made up for it!!!!!!) Good luck Arnold with sorting out what your plant is or confirming it is palaestinum. Hopefully between us all we can sort it out. Cheers. Paul Tyerman Canberra, Australia. USDA equivalent - Zone 8/9 mailto:ptyerman@ozemail.com.au Growing.... Galanthus, Erythroniums, Fritillarias, Cyclamen, Crocus, Cyrtanthus, Liliums, Hellebores, Aroids, Irises plus just about anything else that doesn't move!!!!!