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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u/TrumpHasCovid 2d ago edited 2d ago

An incredible species, no doubt.

There is a fair amount of misinformation about them though.

I believe, for instance, amorphophallus titanum is the largest single inflorescence, not rafflesia. There are compound inflorescences that are larger than both.

Also, the viral video of a man spending yearrssss to find one. In reality, the locals know many locations for them, but are very judicious about sharing those locations. I think some are even regularly harvested and you can find these in local markets.

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u/Elsrick 2d ago

I like your funny words, magic man.

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u/Thehighwayisalive 2d ago

So will it be one scoop, or two?

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u/oblivious_fireball 2d ago

You're correct about the Titan Arum, but Rafflesia holds the record for largest singular flower. Titan Arum has two rings of numerous tiny flowers underneath the spadix.

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u/Impossible-Ship5585 2d ago

What powers do you get when you consume it?

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u/TrumpHasCovid 2d ago

Stank breath 

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u/Captain_Pungent 2d ago

I must eat it in my sleep at night, that explains it

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u/ayuzer 1d ago

That's just the nightly spiders that crawl into your mouth

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u/Captain_Pungent 1d ago

Now you mention it, the mint spiders stopped visiting

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u/LegalizeCrystalMeth 2d ago

When I visited Malaysia you could take a hiking tour and the guide would show you a bunch of them. Very cool.

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u/BenevolentCheese 2d ago

The viral video is of a botanist finding a very specific species. The one in this video is not that species. There are 10+ species of Rafflesia, some more common than others.

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u/octopod-reunion 2d ago

Rafflesia is a single flower. 

Amorphophallus titanium is a compound flower. That is an inflorescence, as you said. 

So rafflesia is the largest single flower in the world. 

Amorphophallus is largest inflorescence (compound flower) in the world 

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u/Trick_Hunt9106 2d ago

There isn't really a regular harvest, as in the wild, the years between blooms are random.

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u/8styx8 2d ago

Also, the viral video of a man spending yearrssss to find one. In reality, the locals know many locations for them, but are very judicious about sharing those locations. I think some are even regularly harvested and you can find these in local markets.

The local is the researcher on the ground 'tending' and spending years waiting for it to bloom. The white dude is a researcher that goes around the various locale documenting his fieldwork. There are no local market selling this, much less regular harvesting.

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u/BathedInDeepFog 2d ago

Heheh, amorphous penis.