The rafflesia flower is considered to be the largest flower in the world. In diameter, this plant reaches more than one meter and weighs more than 10 kilograms. Rafflesia has no leaves; underground, the flower has a network of threads. It is they who extract the food necessary for the flower from the roots of the vines and draw water from the soil.
Description
Rafflesia translated from Indonesian means "bunga patma" - lotus flower. The plant is found on the islands of Kalimantan, Java and Sumatra. There are 12 varieties of rafflesia. Among them, the most popular are Rafflesia tuan muda and Rafflesia Arnoldi, which have the largest flowers. It is worth noting that even the smallest flowers of the varieties of this plant (Rafflesia Rizantes and Sapria) are very impressive - 15-20 cm in diameter.
The plant received the name "Rafflesia" in honor of the naturalist D. Arnoldi and T. S. Raffles. It was they who found and described this "extraordinary miracle" of the flora in the southwestern part of Sumatra.
Interesting Facts
Rafflesia is an extraordinary plant. It does not have green leaves, thanks to which the process of photosynthesis would take place, and there are no roots. Rafflesia cannot independently synthesize the necessary organic substances. That is why it receives everything it needs for its natural development, parasitizing on damaged stems and roots of vines. It happens in the following way. The plant produces filaments that look like mycelium. They penetrate into the tissues of the plant of vines, without bringing them any harm.
Rafflesia seeds are very small, no more than a sesame seed. It is still not clear how they penetrate hardwood. Rafflesia grows rather slowly. The bark of the liana, under which the flower seed actually develops, swells only after a year and a half. At the same time, it forms a kind of bud, which finally matures into a bud for another 9 months.
The rafflesia flower is very colorful. It consists of 5 thick, fleshy petals of deep red color with small white growths, similar to warts. From far away, this flower distantly resembles a huge fly agaric. The average petal length is 45 cm, and the thickness is 3 cm. After a short flowering, the plant decomposes within 2-3 weeks. As a result, rafflesia turns into a shapeless disgusting mass of black color.
The brick-red rafflesia flower blooms directly on the soil surface for a fairly short time - 3-5 days. The appearance and smell are associated with rotting meat. This is what attracts pollinators - dung flies.
The plant was originally discovered on the island of Sumatra. The locals were well acquainted with rafflesia, but they called it in their own way - "bunga patma" ("lotus flower"). Many Indonesians attributed special qualities to rafflesia. For example, it was believed that this plant helps restore the figure in women after childbirth and has a positive effect on the sexual function of men.
