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| Blooming Rafflesia keithii |
Rafflesia is a remarkable plant not only because of its huge flower but also due to its unusual life history. Found in forested areas across southeast Asia, this parasitic plant lacks leaves and stem. As such, it is incapable to produce its own food via photosynthesis. Instead, it fully relies on its host, a ground rooted woody vine also called lianas. It penetrates its host using specialized root-like structure known as houstoria, spreading into the host’s vascular tissue to gain access to nutrients and water.
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| Rafflesia flower bud |
The unisexual flower grows up to 3 feet wide and weighs up to 10 kilograms or so. Blooming occurs for less than a week, and like most flowers, Rafflesia flowers produce smell to attract insects. But unlike most flowers, the smell is unpleasant and often likened to the smell of carrion. Reportedly, this foul smell attracts its pollinator, a type of flies that travel over large distance and live for a few days, making it possible for pollination between male and female plants which are far apart in the rainforest.
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| Rafflesia flower wilts after several days. |
