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from a botanist friend- "Rafflesia arnoldii-(the big orange one in this post) This is the worlds largest flower. It is known as the corpse flower because it smells like rotting flesh. It is found in the jungles of Sumatra, but its numbers are drastically decreasing and its existence becoming threatened. It is an unusual plant in that it mimics the earliest ancestors of life on this planet. It has no roots, no leaves, and no stems, just a giant fucking stinky flower. It is parasitc, and lives off one specific vine found in the jungle. It reaches 3 feet in diameter, and can weigh up to 15 pounds.
Amorphophallus titanum-(the big purple and white one pictured in the earlier posts) Another species of the "corpse flower" found in Sumatra, but more well known due to its exposure through botanical gardens. This one is actually much larger than the one above, but it is not one single flower. Rather, the inflourescense on this flower is comprised of thousands of tiny flowers. This one reaches heights of 7-12 feet, can weigh up to 120 pounds, and has leaves that can reach over 20 feet high!!! If you ever live around a botanical garden that has one of these in bloom, it is worth the time to wait in the un-doubtebly long line (although you can really only admire it for about as long as you can hold your breath)."
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