Characteristics of the Rafflesia or corpse flower

the biggest flower in the world

The plants they are very familiar species for us, since today it is possible to find homes in which people conserve multiple species of all kinds. This can be motivated by medicinal reasons, to want to decorate our home or by simple passion.

Whatever the case, the plants have particular characteristics depending on the type of species to which they belongwhich will determine which will be the most requested by the user based on their needs, since as we well know, there are many functions that plants can offer us for derived tasks.

These are the characteristics of the Rafflesia or corpse flower

putrid odor of Rafflesia or corpse flower

In the article that we have prepared today we are going to tell you about the Rafflesia or corpse flowera very characteristic plant for the impression it can generate on people and the reason why we say this, you will see it in a moment through the article.

Likewise, it will be exposed information about its originits visual aspects as size, color and posturethe reason for its name (Corpse flower) and other considerations will be explained so that the reader can know this plant that, for the most part, it’s more of a flower than anything.

The Rafflesia plant it is a parasitic plantbeing one of the 19 species that exist in Southeast Asia.

It is the plant with the biggest flower in the worldwhich measures about 110 cm in diameter and with a flower consisting of 5 petals, which they can be up to about 25 cm long. Although it has a stem and roots, this plant is mostly a large flower, which is presented with a red color with light scales, which makes this plant very easy to distinguish over long distances.

Its typical name, corpse flower, is attributed to the fact that this plant exudes intolerable odors for the human noseEven the stench of its leaves is often compared to the smell of a corpse and that is the reason for its name. Being a plant of the parasitic type, we come to know that absorbs nutrients from plants that may be around it and it is that in its tissues there is no innate function to create photosynthesis, in such a way that the only alternative of life for this plant is the possibility of stealing nutrients from other species.

These plants can grow up to 2 meters in height

The smell that emanates from its leaves is due to its chemical compositions, such as sugars that are converted into proteins.

In this way, it is possible to see the plant at long distances just by perceiving its smell, and thanks to the fact that this plant is thermogenic, that is, generates heat due to certain metabolic reactionswhich causes their odors to rise and disperse throughout the air, reaching long distances.

Blooms every 10 years

the so-called corpse flower

Its flowering takes approximately 10 years to appear and generally, this only happens 4 times in your entire lifeFor that reason, encountering a flowered Rafflesia is perhaps a low-probability situation.

As we have already commented previously, the rotten smell that this plant has is the most characteristic, but this smell allows you to attract a large number of ghoulswhich in turn offer the plant the possibility to pollinate itself, in this sense, its smell is one of the ways in which this plant survives, since it is impossible for it to pollinate itself.

Despite its smell, the corpse flower is one of the most exotic plants that exist. Many people travel to Southeast Asia just to get a close look at this plant, which is undoubtedly a very characteristic plant within the plant world.

Characteristics of the Rafflesia or corpse flower

Leave a Reply

Scroll to top

Discover more from DIY Gardens

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading