Rafflesia

About the Rafflesia

Rafflesia arnoldii produces the largest single flower on Earth, up to about 1 m across. It is a parasite with no leaves, stems, or roots, living inside Tetrastigma vines. Like the titan arum it smells of rotting meat to attract flies. Buds take many months to develop and the open flower lasts only about a week. Named after Stamford Raffles and Joseph Arnold, who encountered it in Sumatra in 1818. Many species are threatened by forest loss.