The Rafflesia arnoldii (Image by Google)
And this one reminds me of a Pokémon (Vileplume, anyone?)!
The Rafflesia arnoldi, is known as Monster Flower (a free Portuguese translation) and also as Corpse Flower. Like the another Corpse Flower I spoke about, the R. arnoldi smells like rotting flesh. It is the largest flower in the world and can grow to massive proportions, with a flower diameter of up to one meter and weights up to 11 kilograms! Although it has no leaves, stems or roots that the eye can see, the monster flower is considered a plant and relies on its strong perfume to attract insects for pollination. It also has parasitic tendencies: living off the water and nutrients from the hapless Tetrastigma vine, the monster flower is able to grow as large as it does.
Found only in the dwindling rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo, pollination rarely occurs and the bud death rate is high (at about 80-90%). The few buds that actually bloom take many months to do so, and when they do they last no more than a few days before dying. There are great conservation efforts in place to protect the habitat of the Rafflesia species so future generations can experience the sight and smell of the largest flower on Earth.
The Rafflesia arnoldi, is known as Monster Flower (a free Portuguese translation) and also as Corpse Flower. Like the another Corpse Flower I spoke about, the R. arnoldi smells like rotting flesh. It is the largest flower in the world and can grow to massive proportions, with a flower diameter of up to one meter and weights up to 11 kilograms! Although it has no leaves, stems or roots that the eye can see, the monster flower is considered a plant and relies on its strong perfume to attract insects for pollination. It also has parasitic tendencies: living off the water and nutrients from the hapless Tetrastigma vine, the monster flower is able to grow as large as it does.
Found only in the dwindling rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo, pollination rarely occurs and the bud death rate is high (at about 80-90%). The few buds that actually bloom take many months to do so, and when they do they last no more than a few days before dying. There are great conservation efforts in place to protect the habitat of the Rafflesia species so future generations can experience the sight and smell of the largest flower on Earth.
~Ally
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