Bizarre Plants: Rafflesia Arnoldii

Photo Courtesty of Henrik Hansson Globaljuggler

Rafflesia arnoldii is a parasitic plant that has the biggest flowers known to man. They can grow almost three feet across and are bright red in color. There are a few bizarre things worth discussing about these plants. The first are their huge flowers. The second is that rafflesia arnoldii smells disgusting, like rotten meat.

The flowers of rafflesia arnoldii are large, as mentioned above; they are also heavy. Some specimens weigh as much as 15 pounds. These large flowers only open occasionally. They stay open for roughly five days at a time. While successful pollination of these flowers is not common, flies are attracted to the flower for pollination, nonetheless. The rotting meat smell of the flower may be for this very purpose.

The rotting smell of these flowers might smell like food to flies. That brings them around to feed, but there is nothing in the flower to feed upon. There is only a disgusting smell coming from an otherwise beautiful flower.

Rafflesia arnoldii's live in tropical Asian rainforests. So, if you ever find yourself wandering through such a place -- highly likely, I know -- and smell rotting flesh, go toward it. Look at it this way, if it is something dead, the carnivores already have something to eat. If it is rafflesia arnoldii, you'll get a great picture. That is, if you like to bring a camera with you on your casual strolls through the rainforest.