One of the biggest flowers in the world, which smells like rotting flesh, has been found in the Indonesian rainforest.
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The flower, which belongs to the Rafflesia genus, measures over three and a half feet across and blooms for only one week. It smells like rotting flesh in order to attract flies and carrion beetles.
Rafflesia is a genus of plants which all smell bad in order to pollinate. This species appears to be Rafflesia tuan-mudae, which does not smell as bad as other species.
Indonesian conservationists believe this may be the biggest specimen ever found. Officers controlling the forest of Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park discovered the flowers at Rhino Camp Resort Sukaraja, in the west coast of Lampung, Indonesia, earlier this month.
The previous record was held by a bloom from the same space. Rafflesia plants are parasitic and have no leaves, stem or roots.
Authors
Daisy Bowie-Sell is digital editor of Gardens Illustrated. She has previously worked as a journalist for publications including the Daily Telegraph, WhatsOnStage and Time Out London
