rafflesia

[ruh-flee-zhuh, -zhee-uh, -zee-uh, ra-]

noun

1. any stemless, leafless, parasitic plant of the genus Rafflesia, of the Malay Peninsula and Republic of Indonesia, characterized by apetalous flowers, measuring 3 inches–3 feet (8–90 centimeters) in diameter, that exude a putrid odor: now greatly reduced in number.

rafflesia

/ ræˈfliːzɪə /

noun

1. any of various tropical Asian parasitic leafless plants constituting the genus Rafflesia , esp R. arnoldi , the flowers of which grow up to 45 cm (18 inches) across, smell of putrid meat, and are pollinated by carrion flies: family Rafflesiaceae

Word History and Origins

Origin of rafflesia¹

From New Latin (1821), after T. S. Raffles, who obtained the type specimen

Word History and Origins

Origin of rafflesia¹

C19: New Latin, named after T. S. _Raffles , who discovered it

Example Sentences

This class of “carrion flowers” includes many species, but few are as charismatic as Rafflesia arnoldii, also known as the “stinking corpse lily,” which also holds the record as the world’s largest flower.

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Enduring a grueling seven-hour hike in Kalinga, India, a group of researchers came upon 30 Rafflesia banaoana plants blooming near a river.

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“To spend time with a rare Rafflesia flower,” Thorogood said, “is the closest thing to magic.”

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He encountered the massive Rafflesia flower, which featured nearly two-foot-wide scarlet petals and smelled like a rotting corpse, and a phosphorescent fungus that emitted enough light at night to allow him to read a newspaper.

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Perhaps, she adds, Rafflesia’s opening gambit is to suppress this secretion and besiege its host.

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