monster flower
Quick Summary
The Rafflesia arnoldii, often called the monster flower or corpse flower, is a parasitic plant native to Southeast Asia. It is known for producing the largest single flower in the world, which can weigh up to 11 kg (24 pounds) and measure nearly a meter across.1
This plant lives within the tissues of Tetrastigma vines, with its presence only revealed when its large, reddish-brown, five-lobed flower emerges. The flower emits a strong odor of rotting flesh to attract carrion-feeding flies, its primary pollinators. Individual flowers are unisexual, requiring another blooming flower of the opposite sex nearby for pollination to occur.1
The Rafflesia arnoldii is critically endangered due to habitat loss and is extremely difficult to cultivate, making its survival precarious. It's important to distinguish it from the unrelated titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum), which also has a large, foul-smelling inflorescence.123
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RafflesiaceaeThe monster flower genus (Rafflesia) consists of about 42 species native to Southeast Asia, all of which are parasitic upon the roots of Tetrastigma vines (family Vitaceae). The genus includes the giant R. arnoldii, sometimes known as the corpse flower, which produces the largest known individual…
Read MoreThe monster flower genus (Rafflesia) consists of about 42 species native to Southeast Asia, all of which are parasitic upon the roots of Tetrastigma vines (family Vitaceae). The genus includes the giant R. arnoldii, sometimes known as the corpse flower, which produces the largest known individual…
Read More- Rafflesiaceae
The genus includes the giant R. arnoldii, sometimes known as the corpse flower, which produces the largest known individual flower of any plant species in the world and is found in the forested mountains of Sumatra and Borneo. Its fully developed flower appears aboveground as a thick fleshy five-lobed structure…
Read MoreThe genus includes the giant R. arnoldii, sometimes known as the corpse flower, which produces the largest known individual flower of any plant species in the world and is found in the forested mountains of Sumatra and Borneo. Its fully developed flower appears aboveground as a thick fleshy five-lobed structure…
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rafflesiaMajor species and conservationThe genus includes the giant R. arnoldii, sometimes known as the corpse flower or monster flower, which produces the largest-known individual flower of any plant species in the world and is found in the forested mountains of Sumatra and Borneo. Its fully developed flower appears aboveground as a thick fleshy…
Read MoreThe genus includes the giant R. arnoldii, sometimes known as the corpse flower or monster flower, which produces the largest-known individual flower of any plant species in the world and is found in the forested mountains of Sumatra and Borneo. Its fully developed flower appears aboveground as a thick fleshy…
Read More
