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Rafflesia
Rafflesia keithii
6.03278, 116.717
Field Notes
Description:
These flowers only last a few days before dying. They are parasites of a vine so have no roots or leaves of their own. They can be the largest single flowers in the world, growing to over a metre in diameter at times for some species. Many are not quite so big, this one was perhaps 60cms. The first 4 pictures show the flower and it's surroundings, the brown open rings are the remains of old flowers while the brown cabbage-like balls are new buds which grow for several months before opening. See Notes.
Habitat:
Tropical rainforest
Notes:
The last two pictures show a replica which is situated by the entrance gate to this private garden. This gives an idea of what the flower looks like in the first hours after opening, after which it starts to fade and die. These 2 pictures were posted first on April 1st, hence the early comments! There are lots of these replicas around Borneo, some plastic and some concrete, hence the two bogus scientific names!
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