RAFFLESIA - WORLD'S LARGEST FLOWER

The Rafflesia is the largest flower in the world. It can grow up to one metre in diameter & weigh up to 10 kg in weight! There are several species of Rafflesia and are found only in a few places in SE Asia. And it is becoming more rare, as the rainforests it best grows in, are being diminished by logging & clearing.

The first Western botanist to discover the Rafflesia was a Frenchman in Java in the late 1700's. But his illustrations & notes were seized by the British & were not rediscovered until 1954. Meanwhile in 1818, a British botanist collected another species in Sumatra and named the flower in honour of the very notable Sir Stamford Raffles, modern founder of Singapore.

Also commonly know as the 'corpse flower' because of its stench of rotting flesh. The foul odour attracts flies which transport pollen from male to female flowers.
The time from bud emergence to flowering is about 6 months. Flowering only lasts about 5 days before it begins to rot & smell of decomposing flesh.

The Rafflesia challenges traditional definitions and some botanists are not in agreement. The Rafflesia does not contain chlorophyll so is incapable of photosynthesis. Some claim that it is a fungi. Some claim that it is a parasitic plant. The Rafflesia has no stem, leaves or roots.
It's probably a bit like our Australian platypus, just doesn't fit into a particular box.

The Rafflesia's rarity is becoming rarer and is now
considered endangered. Small pockets in Indonesia, Thailand, Borneo, Malaysia & the Philippines are the only opportunities to see a Rafflesia bloom.
One of the most accessible places is the Cameron Highlands about 4 hrs NE of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. But of course the Rafflesia is not just growing next to the road and a long hike into the jungle is  involved.
 I went on a full day tour from Tanah Rata. The highlands is not a place you could do on your own, a guide is needed to cover a variety of areas & directions.
We were in a 4 WD so that cut out hours of trekking. Our guide was a passionate local man who took us to a village of the Orang Asli (original people). The indigenous people of Malaysia have been mostly forced to retreat further inland and still live an animistic life in the jungle. We were shown how to use a blow-dart & it was surprisingly easy even with my cigarette clogged lungs. It travelled a fair distance but my accuracy was not quite up with the Orang Asli. The elder explained to our guide where we should go to see a couple of Rafflesias in bloom. The Orang Asli,  I imagine, would be well aware of where there were any buds & blooms, and be pocketing from their knowledge. Good luck to them!
We hiked about an hour in & come across two magnificent blooms. They have 5 petals & are very thick & fleshy. The Rafflesia doesnt really look like a real flower but that is one thing all the botanists agree on, it is the largest flower in the world! We never managed to see, or smell,
any rotting flowers and l think l would like to have experiencd that!
Apart from trekking & 4WDing, there's plenty to see & do in the cool of the Cameron Highlands. Strawberries are considered a very exotic fruit in tropical Malysia, and the Highlands is one of the few places that they grow. There is also several tea plantations and there is nothing more pleasurable than enjoying a cuppa on the plantation from whence it was grown.
Cameron Highlands offers cool respite from the lowlands of Malaysia. Roses grow there!
And it is well worth the scenic drive there in search of the ever elusive Rafflesia.


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