rafflesia

American  

[ruh-flee-zhuh, -zhee-uh, -zee-uh, ra-] / rəˈfli ʒə, -ʒi ə, -zi ə, ræ- /

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.

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rafflesia British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of rafflesia

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

Example Sentences

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

From Salon

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

From Salon

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.

From Salon

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.

From National Geographic

Little is known about how the parasitic Rafflesia—a genus that produces the world’s largest and stinkiest flower—infects its host plants.

From Scientific American