corpse flower / Rafflesia Arnoldi
Rafflesia is a genus of parasitic flowering plants. He was found in the rain forests of Indonesia by an Indonesian guide working for Dr. Joseph Arnold in 1818, and named after Thomas Stamford Raffles, the leader of the expedition. It consists of approximately 27 species (including four incompletely as recognized by Meijer 1997), all found in Southeast Asia, on the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra, and the Philippines. This plant has no stems, leaves or true roots. Rafflesia is endoparasit on the vines of the genus Tetrastigma (family Vitaceae), spreading haustoriumnya similar roots in the vines network.
diameter of Raflesia Flower almost half of the human body
The only part of the plant Rafflesia which can be seen outside its host plant is crowned with five flowers. In some species, such as Rafflesia arnoldii, diameter interest rates may be more than 100 cm and weighing up to 10 kg. Even the smallest species, the Rafflesia manillana, flower diameter 20 cm.
smell like rotten meat
The flowers look and smell like rotting meat, which is why he is called "corpse flower" or "meat flower". Smell the flowers were not tasty attracts insects such as flies and dung beetles, which carry the pollen from the male flowers to female flowers. Little is known about the spread of seeds. However, squirrels and other forest mammals turned out to eat the fruit and spread the seeds. Rafflesia is the official flower of the state of Indonesia, as well as the province of Surat Thani, Thailand.
tree height doubled the human body
The name "corpse flower" applied to Rafflesia is confusing because this common name also used to refer to Amorphophallus titanum (suweg giant / rod krebuit) of the family Araceae. Moreover, because Amorphophallus has unbranched inflorescence in the world, it is sometimes mistakenly regarded as the largest flower in the world. Both Rafflesia and Amorphophallus are flowering plants, but much of their family ties. Arnoldii Rafflesia flower has world's biggest single of all flowering plants, at least when people judge from the weight. Amorphophallus titanum has the largest unbranched inflorescence, while palm Talipot (Corypha umbraculifera) has the largest unbranched inflorescence, consisting of thousands of flowers; This plant monokarpik, which means each individual die after flowering.