The World's Largest Flower

The world's largest flower is called rafflesia arnoldi. The flower was named after Sir Stamford Raffles, a naturalist who founded the British colony of Singapore. Its petals can be a yard in diameter, and it can weigh up to 15 pounds! The flower only exists in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. The flower is much like a fungi, in that it has no stems, leaves, or roots. Rafflesia arnoldi is a parasite that attaches itself directly to Tetrastigma vines.

The common name for the world's largest flower is "corpse flower". The plant is pollinated by flies, so the flower emits the pungent aroma of rotting flesh in order to attract them. Corpse flowers are rare, and extinction may be eminent for these beauties as their natural habitiat continues to be destroyed.