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Glite Dictionary
Rafflesia

Rafflesia

1 9.9
A plant with very large flowers that lives on other plants in Southeast Asia
  • proper noun
  • /ræfˈliːziə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Rafflesia
  • Rafflesia species
  • Rafflesia in bloom
  • Rafflesia flower

Examples

  • Rafflesia arnoldii: this parasitic plant develops the world's largest bloom that can grow over three feet across.

    Blog text (34)

  • Southeast Asia is home to the world's largest flower, Rafflesia arnoldii, known as the "stinking corpse lily."

  • A Rafflesia bud erupts from the host vine as a dark lump and slowly swells for about 9 months before opening.

  • Unlike green plants, which make their own food, Rafflesia is a parasite.

How Smelly

Amorphophallus titanum
  • Specialized
9.9
Rafflesia
  • Specialized
1 9.9
carrion flower
  • Specialized
9.9
skunk cabbage
  • US
1 8.9

Surface Forms

Rafflesia main

Etymology

The word Rafflesia is named after the British man Raffles and the ending -ia which we use for groups of plants, as in dahlia. So it means 'Raffles's plant', and that is why Rafflesia is the name for the very large parasitic flower from Southeast Asia.