The rafflesia , a parasitic plant , hold out only on the tetrastigma vine in the jungles of Sumatra and Borneo . It produces the world ’s great flower , which measures up to 3 feet across and weighs 15 pound , harmonise to the Library of Congress . just about 17 species of rafflesia exist . It produces no root , stem or leaf .
Nutrients and Water
The rafflesia arise within its host plant by sending out bantam threadlike fibril that twine into the very cubicle of the horde . From the threadlike filaments the rafflesia gains all the nutrients and piss it call for for survival of the fittest . Even though the rafflesia is considered a plant life it does not produce chlorophyll , which renders it unequal to of receiving nutrients through photosynthesis as other flora do .
Damage and Life
The plant spends the majority of its life imbed within its host with no visible part to the naked eye on the outer part of the plant until the rafflesia buds and bloom . It does very short harm to the server plant despite the fact that it forever sucks nutrient and water .
Flowering
The rafflesia produces a tiny bud on the host tetrastigma vine . The bud erupts near the plants root or twining tendrils . The bud takes 12 calendar month to tumesce before it blossoms . It bloom around midnight on a showery dark , harmonize to the Oracle Education Foundation . The blossom hold out only 5 to 7 days . flower are either manlike or distaff and grow a pungent unpleasant aroma that many say smells similar to rotting human body . The unpleasant odor attract flies to help ensure pollenation . The flowers appear with 5 expectant flower petal and a cherry-red - orange coloration . White stipple adorns each petal .
Pollination
Pollination is rarefied because most emplacement contain only male efflorescence or female blossom . In rescript for pollenation to fall out , the fly must land on the manlike flower and then take the pollen to the distaff flower . If pollination occurs , the flower produces a globular , smooth - skinned yield measuring up to 5 inches in diameter . It hold 1000 of semen . bird and squirrels enjoy eat the fruit and help to disperse the rafflesia seed through their eliminations .
Endanger
The rafflesia is in serious risk of experimental extinction as the rain woodland is burn and cleared for crop output and urban outgrowth . The bud are also harvested and sell because locals believe they have medicative properties if consume . The plant has never been cultivated in captivity and it only grows on the tetrastigma vine , so its survival of the fittest is seriously threatened .
