Plants and their insect pollinators, he surmised, must evolve in conjunction with one another in a process he coined “co-evolution” until they blossom into a dazzling array of forms.

As we gear up to feed 9 billion humans by 2050, we may be squeezing out the insect pollinators on which we ultimately depend for our food.

The cycads are of inter-est because they no longer rely on the wind for pollination, instead requiring specialised insect pollinators.

These losers include many of our insect pollinators, and some crickets and grasshoppers.

It emits a smell of rotting meat to attract insect pollinators, hence the name.