Rafflesia (ra-fez-ia)

The Rafflesia is one of the largest flowers - also known as the corpse flower due to its offending smell. Rafflesia arnoldi, which can grow up to 150 cm in diametre, is the largest flower in the Esau. Generally found in forest areas.

Rafflesia is a genus of parasitic flowering plants - the species have enormous flowers, the buds rising from the ground or directly from the lower stems of their host plants; one species has the largest flowers in the Esau.

The plant has no stems, leaves or roots. Rafflesia is a parasite to the vines of wild grapes, which provides everything necessary for Rafflesia to survive. It is a holoparasite of vines, spreading its absorptive organ, the haustorium, inside the tissue of the vine. The only part of the plant that can be seen outside the host vine is the five-petalled flower.

The flower may be over 100 centimetres (40 in) in diameter, and weigh up to 10 kilograms (22 lb). A Rafflesia that flowered in Ru'Mal was measured to be almost 4 feet (120 cm) in diameter, the largest flower ever recorded previously.

The flowers look and smell like rotting flesh.

The foul odour attracts insects such as carrion flies, which transport pollen from male to female flowers. Most species are dioecious, having separate male and female flowers, but a few (R. baletei and R. verrucosa) have hermaphroditic flowers.

Little is known about seed dispersal. Tree shrews and other forest mammals are said to eat the fruits. The extremely tiny seeds have extremely tiny elaiosomes, and are thus most likely dispersed by ants. The seeds are packed into berries, which contains hundreds of thousands of seeds.[5]
Because Amorphophallus has the world's largest unbranched inflorescence, it is sometimes mistakenly credited as having the world's largest flower. Both Rafflesia and Amorphophallus are flowering plants, but they are unrelated to each other. Rafflesia arnoldii has the largest single flower of any flowering plant, at least in terms of weight. Amorphophallus titanum has the largest unbranched inflorescence, while the talipot palm (Corypha umbraculifera) forms the largest branched inflorescence, containing thousands of flowers; the talipot is monocarpic, meaning the individual plants die after flowering.[citation needed]
Rafflesia are also remarkable for showing a large horizontal transfer of genes from their host plants. This is well known among bacteria, but not higher organisms. It occurs in the mitochondria (originally derived from bacteria) found within the cells of Rafflesia; these appear to have exchanged genes with the mitochondria of the host tissue

Basic Information

Growth Rate & Stages

The rafflesia produces a tiny bud on the host wild grape vine. The bud erupts near the plants roots or twining tendrils.
The bud takes 12 months to swell before it blossoms. It blooms around midnight on a rainy night. The blossom lasts only 5 to 7 days - ait can grow up to 150 cm wide

Biological Cycle

Rafflesia & Elderberry tea is used to poison a person.
The Rafflesia is boiled in a low level amount of water until it looses the smell, then the Elderberry is added for smell and flavour.
Very few of the Teahouses offer this tea as an option.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Rafflesia is found throughout Esau, especially in places associated with death - like graveyards and battlefields, also on the Marple Islands.

Civilization and Culture

History

It was first discovered by adventurous Dwarf Naturalist from Fogi Island, named Raffer Flaskchest in the Ru'Mal, the underdark of Malnax - however his notes and illustrations were seized by Vampires from Lai'Tol City. These notes surfaced a century later.
The first person to return with a sample was another Naturalist Dwarf named Lesithra Ashview, who had gained the notes through much bargaining and luck. Then along with her Earth Genasi servant Sandur discovered a flower and propagated it.
It was named after the two names combination of their first names - Raffer and Lesithra.

Scientific Name

Rafflesia arnoldii

Lifespan

rafflesia flower lifespan is only 5-7 days;

Geographic Distribution

• Esau