World's Largest Flower

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The Flora and Fauna segment for this month will cover the topic about World Largest flower. Many of us may think that Rafflesia is the biggest flower in the world, but it is not an easy win. There are 2 other competitors compete for the title. Let’s go check it out.


RAFFLESIA

It is named after Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the leader of the expedition when the flower is discovered in Indonesian rain forest. It’s consists about 27 sub-species and all found in sub eastern Asia, on the Malaysia Peninsular, Borneo, Sumatra and the Philippines. The plant has no stems, leaves or true roots. Rafflesia Arnoldi has the biggest flower about 100 cm in diameter and the smallest is R. manillana with 20 cm in diameter. Rafflesia is an official state flower of Indonesia, also Sabah state in Malaysia, as well as for the Surat Thani Province, Thailand.

If its judges by weight, the Rafflesia Arnoldi gains the title as “The World Largest Single Flower” from any flowering plants.


TITAN ARUM

The Titan Arum or Amorphophallus titanum is indigenous in Sumatran Rainforest. It is also thrives at the edges of rainforest near the open grassland. Due to its fragrance, it is known as a carrion flower or corpse flower (in Indonesian = Bunga Bangkai). The titan arum's inflorescence can reach over 3 metres (10 ft) in circumference. Both male and female flowers grow in the same inflorescence. The female flowers open first, and then a day or two following, the male flowers open. This prevents the flower from self-pollinating. The corm is the largest known, weighing around 50 kilograms (110 lb).

The Titan Arum gains the title as “The World largest unbranched inflorescence” from any flowering plants.


TALIPOT PALM

The Talipot Palm or Corypha umbraculifera is a species of palm, native to southern India (Malabar coast) and Sri Lanka. It is one of the largest palms in the world; individual specimens have reached heights of up to 25 m, with stems up to 1.3 m in diameter. The Talipot palm is cultivated throughout southeast Asia, north to southern China. Historically, the leaves were written upon in various Southeast Asian cultures using an iron stylus to create palm leaf manuscripts. The leaves are also used for thatching, and the sap is tapped to make palm wine. In Malabar Coast, the palm leaves were used to make traditional umbrellas for agricultural workers and students in rural areas until a few decades ago. The tree is known as "Kudapana" in Malayalam Language, which in turn means "Kuda" = Umbrella + "Pana" = palm tree.

Talipot palm bears the largest inflorescence of any plant, 6-8 m long, consisting of one to several million small flowers borne on a branched stalk that forms at the top of the trunk. Thus, it’s known as “The world largest branched inflorescence”, containing thousands of flowers. This plant is monocarpic, meaning that individuals die after flowering.