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WonderParasitic plant fact1,769 of 1,961

Rafflesia arnoldii lives almost entirely inside a tropical vine as a parasite, emerging briefly to produce a vast carrion-scented flower.

A flower with almost no plant

NatureBiologyEvolution

Why it matters

The idea in context

For most of its existence, Rafflesia is hidden as tissue threaded through a Tetrastigma vine. Then a bud breaks through and opens into a flower approaching a metre across, scented to attract carrion flies. The spectacle lasts only days; the larger wonder is the invisible life before it, a plant that has surrendered nearly every familiar sign of being one.

Türkçe

Aynı kart, başka bir dilde.

Rafflesia arnoldii, asalak olarak tropik bir asmanın içinde neredeyse bütünüyle gizli yaşar; yalnızca dev, leş kokulu bir çiçek açmak için kısa süreliğine dışarı çıkar.
Neredeyse bitkisiz bir çiçek

Rafflesia yaşamının çoğunda Tetrastigma asmasının dokularına karışmış halde görünmezdir. Sonra bir tomurcuk yüzeyi yarar, yaklaşık bir metreye yaklaşan ve leş sineklerini çeken kokulu bir çiçeğe açılır. Gösteri yalnızca birkaç gün sürer; asıl büyük hayret, öncesindeki görünmez yaşamdır: bitki olmanın tanıdık işaretlerinin neredeyse tümünden vazgeçmiş bir bitki.

Source trail

Read beyond the card.

Background reading: Rafflesia arnoldiiAttribution and context are revised when stronger evidence appears. Corrections are welcome through the editorial page.
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