Biggest Flower in the World: Rafflesia

Описание: The World’s Biggest & Largest Flower in the world - Nature


Rafflesia is recognized as the biggest flower in the world . It was discovered by a British Botanist named Joseph Arnold during his 1818 expedition on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is hardly that one would pick this flower for a bouquet.
Huge size. It can grow to about three feet (1m) in Diameter the size of a bus tire and weigh some 24 pounds (11Kg). The flower has five thick, pinkish-Brown Fleshy petals covered with pale wartlike spots. The Petals converge in a large hollow that resembles a pot and that can hold up to 13 pints (6 liters) of water.
Bad odor it smells like a buffalo carcass in an advanced state of decomposition.
Carrion – feeding flies are the flowers main pollinators because they find the stench irresistible.

The Rafflesia has no stem, leaves or roots and grows as a parasite in jungles . It has a very short life term,the bud takes about 10 months to balloon growing to the size of a large cabbage. Then in a several hours process the flashy lobes unfold revealing their full glory. The Blooming process is very interesting and astonishing. These flowers live shortly.After a few days the bloom dies, and begins to not leaving behind a slimy black mass.

This species is about to disappear due to some reasons , many buds are harvested to be used in traditional medicine or to be eaten as delicacy . This has reduced the growth of the plants in the wild and also ongoing destruction of the flower’s tropical rain forest habitat poses another serious threat.