Botany in the funny papers
Jane McGary (Sun, 20 Jan 2013 13:07:28 PST)

To mention this botanical bit, I first have to confess to reading the
comics section of the Sunday newspaper, which always reminds me of
childhood, with the color section spread on the living room carpet
and my father reading the "funnies" to us children.

Today the strip "Mark Trail," which imparts nature lore to children,
featured stinking flowers. Three of the four got their taxonomic
names (Stapelia gigantea, Dracunculus vulgaris, Rafflesia arnoldii,
all spelled right), but the fourth is identified only as "the titan
arum, or 'corpse flower'." Just to keep the strip G rated, one
assumes, but the illustrator has added a sly comment by depicting a
curvy woman casting a dubious glance at Amorphophallus titanum.

Jane McGary
Portland, Oregon, USA