Carrion flower
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Stinking flowers or Carrion flowers are flowers that smell like rotting flesh. While a typical flower may be stereotyped as a colorful, sweet-smelling structure that attracts insects and rewards them with pollen, this scenario is not true for carrion flowers. Carrion flowers attract mostly scavenging flies. Some species may trap the flies temporarily, while others don't.
The world's largest single bloom is Rafflesia arnoldii. This rare flower is found in the rainforests of Indonesia. It can grow to be 3 feet across and weigh up to 15 pounds. It is a parasitic plant, with no visible leaves, roots, or stem. It attaches itself to a host plant to obtain water and nutrients. When in bloom, the Rafflesia emits a repulsive odor, similar to that of rotting meat. This odor attracts insects that pollinate the plant.
The world's largest flower head is Amorphophallus titanum, which is also a carrion flower.
[edit] See also
Stinkhorn- fungi that use the same basic principle for spore dispersal.
