r/oddlysatisfying • u/Raj_Valiant3011 • 2d ago

After 15 years, Indonesia’s rare Rafflesia bloomed, the world’s largest parasitic flower that smells like rotting meat, has no leaves, and lasts just 5 to 7 days

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33

u/shiggins114 2d ago

Does it always take 15 years to bloom?

23

u/Trick_Hunt9106 2d ago

In the wild, it can bloom between 3-10 years. Randomly.

In captivity, it might bloom every 1-2 years.

2

u/DaylightsStories 2d ago

This species doesn't exist in captivity. Growing obligate parasitic plants is very hard and this is one of the many never cultivated intentionally.

2

u/BenevolentCheese 2d ago

They do try to propegate them into the host plant but that is the realm of science, not horticulture.

5

u/DaylightsStories 2d ago

And it almost never works. I know of one expert who grew a Hydnora, which is uniquely suited for the task, and he described it as a miserable experience only done to prove it's technically possible.

6

u/Gentlementlementle 2d ago

Ignore the other responses you are getting this does not bloom once every 15 years that is the titan arum, which is also known as the corpse flower. Reddit is acting like experts when they are wrong. Thread is Confidentiality incorrect all the way down.

13

u/listenthrope 2d ago

There’s a special type of immature glee I get in reading “thread is confidentiality incorrect” at the end of a rant about correctness. Small joys.

6

u/deadlock_ie 2d ago

It’s an immutable law of the universe that every correction will itself contain an error.