Rafflesia Flower Facts

Rafflesia

Rafflesia is the world’s largest, the heaviest, the rarest and the one of the most stinkiest flowers in the world. It grows to 1 metre wide and weighs about 10 kgs.

Rafflesia, a native of rainforests of Thailand, Malaysia and in the Indonesian Archipelago, is the largest flower in the world. Interestingly, Rafflesia is a parasitic plant without any leaves, stems and roots (It has only nutrient-absorbing threads to absorb nutrients from the host on which it lives) but for the largest flower.

Rafflesia flower has a small lifecycle of 5-7 days. Rafflesias have their stamens and pistils fused together in a central column, producing a corona, or crown, in the shape of a ring. The reddish brown colors of the petals, are sprinkled with white freckles. The smell attracts the carrion flies and then pollination occurs. After 9 months of maturation, Rafflesia plant opens into a cabbage-sized bud. The sexual organs are located beneath the rim of the disk.

Facts About Rafflesia Flower

– Rafflesia is the largest individual flower. Titan arum bears the largest inflorescence.
– Rafflesia is a parasite which attaches itself to a host plant, Tetrastigma vine, which grows only in undisturbed rainforests, to obtain water and nutrients.
– The genus Rafflesia is named after adventurer and founder of the British colony of Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles.
– Rafflesia is the official state flower of Sabah in Malaysia, as well as for the Surat Thani Province, Thailand.
– Rafflesia manillana, the smallest species in the genus Rafflesia is also has 20 cm diameter flowers.
– Rafflesia flowers are unisexual.
– Forest mammals and tree shrews feed on Rafflesia fruit which is 15cm in diameter, filled with smooth flesh and thousands of tiny hard coated seeds.
– It is believed that rafflesia is related to poinsettias, violets, passionflowers, and other members of the order Malpighiales.
– The rotten smell of the flower is due to the reddish tentacle-like, branched ramentae, inside the corolla of petals.
– Rafflesia is an endangered or threatened genus.
– Rafflesia arnoldii does not have chlorophyll, as all the green plants have and so it cannot undergo
photosynthesis.

Species found in Royal Belum State Park, Malaysia

Rafflesia Azlanii

Rafflesia Kerii

Rafflesia Cantleyii

Other Species around the region.

Rafflesia Arnoldii

Rafflesia Balatei

Rafflesia Banahawensis

Rafflesia Bengkuluensis

Rafflesia Gadutensis

Rafflesia Hasselti

Rafflesia Keithii

Rafflesia Leonardi

Rafflesia Lobata

Rafflesia Manillana

Rafflesia Microployra

Rafflesia Mira

Rafflesia Panchoana

Rafflesia Patma

Rafflesia Pricei

Rafflesia Rochusseni

Rafflesia Schadenbergiana

Rafflesia Speciosa

Rafflesia Tengku Adlinii

Rafflesia Tuan Mudae

No Photos and Unverified Species

Rafflesia Borneensis

Rafflesia Ciliata

Rafflesia Titan

Rafflesia Witkampii

Extensive research has been don eon Rafflesia flowers, either by locals of international bodies. Some of them are:

1. http://pkukmweb.ukm.my/pakdin/Rafflesia/conservation.html

2. http://www.dawama.com/Rafflesia-Bunga-Terbesar-di-Dunia/q?pid=1858&doit=order

3. http://rafflesia-flowers.blogspot.com/2008/03/prof-dr-kamarudin-mat-salleh.html

4. http://www.ukm.my/news/index.php/ms/berita-penyelidikan/311-the-dangers-of-using-rafflesia.html

Many more can be found on the internet or research facilities.