Rafflesia arnoldii

Rafflesia arnoldii

            Rafflesia arnoldii is a member of Genus Rafflesia. It is noted for producing the largest individual flower on earth. It is an endemic plant that occurs only in the rainforests of Sumatra Island, Indonesia. This time, the size of the flower about 80-100 cm diameter and the weight about 11 kilograms. The flowers blossom once a year and the flowers look dead once a year. The root remain alive when the flowers look dead. Rafflesia don’t have stem, leafs, and real roots. It has five sheath around the flower. The time of flowering is once ten years. This parasitic plant develops and grow over three feet across. It smell is bad and has a hole in the center, that can hold six or seven quarts of water. Rafflesia arnoldii was discovered in Indonesian rain forest by an Indonesian guide working for Dr. Joseph Arnold in 1818, and named after Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the leader of expedition. When Rafflesia arnoldii blossom, the high is about 1 meter and weight about 11 kilograms. It blossom once a year, after it wither and look die. Rafflesia arnoldii live only about 1 week or 5 -7 days.