Penisplantenboek

A special plant requires a special approach.

The penis plant is perhaps the most striking plant species. Not only the name, but also the shape regales the imagination! Botanic Garden Meise has no less than 500 species of this Arum family in its range, including the well-known Titan Arum. You’ve probably heard of this very large plant that only blooms once every three years. The first bloom in Meise took place in August 2008 and attracted 8,000 visitors!

In 1825, the German-Dutch botanist Carl Ludwig Blume gave the name to a plant he came across in Indonesia. Because the plant reminded him of a ‘shapeless penis’, it became the Amorphophallus.

What makes the penis plant even more special is its specific smell. It is described as carrion or rotting meat, carcasses, sewers, excrement, ... Not a plant to put in your living room!

INNI group was commissioned by Plantentuin Meise to print the book with beautiful photos by Maarten Strack van Schijndel. He used a special technique: focus stacking photography. In this technique, the photographer takes a series of photos with their focal points at different distances from the camera. These are later combined with special software to produce an ultra-sharp image across the full depth of the subject.