Meet Rafflesia arnoldii: The Largest Flower in the World
The single largest individual flower in the world is Rafflesia arnoldii, it is known for its length and peculiar rotten meat like smell. Learn more about it here.
There are around 3.5 to 4 lakh varieties of flowers in the world. Among these, Rafflesia arnoldii makes the cut as the largest flower in the world due to its enormous size. It is named after British surgeon Joseph Arnold, who was the first to study the sample of this flower in 1818.
This flower is found only in the rainforests of Indonesia, especially in the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Also known as the corpse flower due to the putrid smell it emits from its petals.
Studies show that the stinking smell is the key to attracting flies and beetles. Let us explore the features of the flower, its distribution and mechanism of survival.
Rafflesia arnoldii: Distribution across the World
Rafflesia arnoldii is known as the stinking corpse lily or corpse flower. It’s found only in the Southeast Asian rainforests, especially in the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. This flower grows in dense, moist rainforests where minimal sunlight reaches the forest floor.
It is a parasitic flower that grows on the vines of the wild grape of the genus Tetrastigma. These vines provide the ideal habitat for the growth of the buds of Rafflesia.
Rafflesia arnoldii: Length and Weight
Rafflesia arnoldii is known to grow to a diameter of 1m or 3ft 3 inches and weigh upto 11kgs.
Rafflesia arnoldii: Appearance and Smell
Rafflesia arnoldii appears as a big flower with five reddish-brown petals which are covered with white spots. It initially grows as a bud and which grows up to 30 cm. The buds are maroon or dark brown and appear like a cabbage on the host plant.
The most striking feature of the flower is its dark reddish-brown petals and the rotten meat like odour which is helpful in attracting pollinators like carrion-feeding flies and beetles.
This smell can be attributed to the chemicals like Dimethyl Disulfide and Dimethyl Trisulphide which produces putrid odour.
Rafflesia arnoldii: Lifespan
Although the life cycle of a Rafflesia arnoldii flower is around 1 year, once it blooms, it lives only for 5-7 days.
Some Interesting Facts About Rafflesia arnoldii
1. Rafflesia arnoldii does not contain any leaves, stem and roots.
2. It does not need sunlight to grow, instead it derives all its energy from the host plant.
3. The flower is named after Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern day Singapore and Dr.Joseph Arnold.
4. It cannot be grown anywhere else other than the rainforest of Southeast Asia due to its dependence on the host plant i.e, Tetrastigma or wild grape plant.
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Mriganka Chakraborty is a seasoned digital journalist and communications professional who is currently working as Deputy Manager at Jagran Josh, where he leads the General Knowledge Section. As a subject matter expert with 8+ years of editorial experience, he has created authoritative content that is trusted by millions of readers around the world in Science, History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Sports, and Technology. His extensive expertise in these subjects enables him to present complex topics in an engaging, accurate, and reader-friendly manner to a global audience, making learning addictive and fun.
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