Corpse Flower (Rafflesia keithii)

Rafflesia is a genus of plants which are found in the rainforests of South East Asia, mostly in Borneo. These plants are parasites. They attach to a host and absorb nutrients and water. Hosts are usually certain types of vines.

The plant consists of a single flower. It has no leaves, stems or “real roots”. It is the largest flower in the world and can grow larger than 1 metre in diameter – the current record is 107cm. The largest species of rafflesia, the Rafflesia arnoldii, can weigh up to 10kg.

The main part of the plant lives inside their hosts while the only part you can see is the five-petaled “flower”. The flower is reddish-brown in colour with blister-like white spots. In the middle of the flower, there is a deep “well” with vertical spikes pointing up. The sexual organs of these plants lie deep in the well. A rafflesia plant can only either have male or female sexual organs and rely on insects to pollinate them.