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| Rafflesia Arnoldii bud |
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| The Flower in full bloom |
The flower with the world's largest bloom is the Rafflesia arnoldii. This rare flower is found in the rainforests of Indonesia. It can grow to be 3 feet across and weigh up to 15 pounds! It is a parasitic plant, with no visible leaves, roots, or stem. It attaches itself to a host plant to obtain water and nutrients. When in bloom, the Rafflesia emits a repulsive odor, similar to that of rotting meat. This odor attracts insects that pollinate the plant.
The genus Rafflesia comprises 28 species of parasitic flowering
plants, which are natives to the Southeast Asian rainforest. The most
interesting fact about the genus is that one of its species - Rafflesia
arnoldii, produces the world's largest single flower. The term rafflesia
is popularly used to denote the flower of Rafflesia arnoldii.
Classification of Rafflesia arnoldii
| Scientific classification | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Angiosperms |
| Class: | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Rafflesiaceae |
| Genus: | Rafflesia |
| Species: | R. arnoldii |
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