Rafflesia - the largest flower in the worldThere are many tropical flowers. The biggest flower of them all is the striking rafflesia. what is the rafflesia?
The rafflesia is a plant that is not really noticed (until it flowers), because it is a parasite that is hidden away inside vines. It does not have it's own trunk, branches or leaves. It tends to live on tropical vines called Tetrastigma (part of the 'wine vine' family, the Vitaceae).
There have been attempts to cultivate the rafflesia flower in gardens, but they have been generally unsuccessful, probably due to the specific parasitic nature. Therefore, one normally has to go 'into the wild' to see these amazing plants in flower... OK, so where can I see the rafflesia in flower?The rafflesia only lives int he rainforests of south-east Asia, so that is where you have to head. I have found the best place to see them is at Poring Hot Springs, which is part of Kinabalu National Park, in the Malaysian state of Sabah, Borneo |
