Ellen wrote: “My vote goes to Brachystelma cathcartensis. It smelled so nasty that I never resampled it, which is why I can't give a very clear accounting of its fragrance. From memory, it was a carrion smell, but a particularly dirty one. Fortunately the plant hugs the ground, and the smell doesn't seem to carry far (I never noticed it at all until I actually stuck my nose in it). I’ve noticed this, too, not only with Brachystelma. cathcartensis, but with other asclepiads.such as the big starfish flower Stapelia. The scent isn’t apparent until you’re nose is right over or in the flower. The scent of these plants provides a physical sensation somewhat akin to bumping into something: at first there is nothing and suddenly it hits you. It’s a strange scent, and sniffing it gives another sensation, as if the nose had been suddenly stuffed with dry tissue paper. After writing that it reminded me of something: I think stuffing was the metaphor Parkinson used to describe strong odors almost four hundred years ago. Other plants, such as Sauromatum/Typhonium have a potent scent which carries far: in most years, when this one blooms here I know about it because I catch the scent from afar, long before I’ve seen the inflorescence. Close up this one smells like warm rat feces to me (don’t ask how I know what that smells like!), from a distance the odor is more carrion-like. OK, I said don’t ask me, but I’ve decide to tell you anyway. I’ve been reading Noël Riley Fitch’s biography of Julia Child. It seems that Julia kept pet rats when she was a child. So did I. You may be surprised to hear it, but rats can make surprisingly affectionate and endearing pets – but they are pretty stinky. Just remember to wash your hands before you head for the kitchen. I hope Julia remembered – she wasn’t shy about popping something back into the pan after she had dropped it on the floor! Jim McKenney jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, 39.03871º North, 77.09829º West, USDA zone 7 My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/ BLOG! http://mcwort.blogspot.com/ Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org/ Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/