Species of the week: The corpse flower

Native to the tropical rainforests of Bengkili, Sumatra Island, Indonesia and Malaysia, Rafflesia arnoldii is one of the world’s most unusual plants, mainly because of its peculiar identity crisis.

Otherwise known as the ‘corpse flower’, it is so called due to its overwhelming stench, similar to that of a rotting corpse. The plant can not only be compared to animals (albeit, dead ones), but fungi. Parasitic to the Tetrastigma vine, the corpse flower obtains water and nutrients via thread-like strands which penetrate its host’s tissue, in a manner comparative to fungal mycelia.

The organism lacks leaves, stems and roots, yet it is still classified as a vascular plant. Indeed, it’s only typical plant-like feature is its flower, though how ‘typical’ the flower is, is somewhat debatable. Rafflesia arnoldii have the largest individual flowers on Earth; they grow up to 1m in diameter, and some have been recorded to weigh over 7kg. They only blossom for a few days during which time, the corpse like stench acts to lure in pollinating flies. The flies then have to visit both a male and female flower in order for pollination to be successful, as they are unisexual; proximity is essential for survival.

Image courtesy of ma_suska via Wikimedia Commons

Sources used: http://library.thinkquest.org/27257/rafflesia.html and http://www.parasiticplants.siu.edu/Rafflesiaceae/Raff.arn.page.html