When first European explorers crossed the jungles of Sumatra in the 19th century, they were amazed to discover flowers as big as a wheel, lying apparently on the ground. The flower with the fleshy juicy petals had a vivid red color, crossed by fine brown-yellow networks. On the upper part of the floral cup the reproductive organs were found.
On the bottom of the cup there was enough nectar to fill a small pot. Another thing: the flower spread a cadaver stench. The color and the scent were meant to attract the insects for pollinization. This was Rafflesia arnoldi.
This is the largest sole flower in the world: up to 1.5 m (5 ft) in diameter, 3-4 m (10-13 ft) in perimeter and 10-12 kg (22-30 pounds) heavy, and inhabits the forest of Sumatra and Borneo. Rafflesia has
no roots, stems or
leaves, as it lives parasite on the roots of a vine (Tetrastigma). This made it impossible to find the place of Rafflesia amongst other plants, till a recent DNA analysis came with a surprise: they belong to Euphorbiaceae family, which, paradoxically, is characterized by ... minute flowers! The most famous species in this family are spurges, cassava and rubber tree.
Also in Sumatra the titan arum (Amorphophalus titanum) is found. It is 3 m (10 ft) tall, related to other arums and taros and also spreads a smell of rotten flesh. But, like in all arums, what looks like a flower is in fact an unbranched cluster of smaller flowers.
The titan arum flowers just for 2-3 days, 3-4 times during its 40 years existence. What looks like giant joined petals is actually a bract (a protective leaf) of purple color. It can have 1.2 m (4 ft) in diameter, and is 1.3 m tall. The huge inflorescence grows from a 100 kg (420 pounds) underground tuber. The giant stem on the middle (called spadix) carries the flowers, both females and males. The meat fragrance attracts carrion-eating beetles and flesh flies for pollinization.
But the largest branched inflorescence is attributed to the Talipot palm (Corypha umbraculifera), native to southern India and Ceylon.
This huge palm, reaching up to 25 m (83 ft) in height, with stems up to 1.3 m (4.5 ft) in diameter, carrying huge and palmate leaves up to 5 m (16 ft) in diameter, with a petiole up to 4 m (13 ft), bears the largest inflorescence of any plant, 6-8 m (20-26 ft) long, made of one to several million small flowers, attached to the branched stalk that forms at the top of the trunk. The Talipot palm flowers just once, when it is 30 to 80 years old.
Another huge inflorescence is produced by Puya raymondi, from the Bromeliaceae family (plants related to the pineapple). This species is also the largest Bromeliad species: the plant itself is 3 m (10 ft) high and produces a floral spike which is 9-10 m (30-33 ft) tall. It lives just in the Andes of Peru and Bolivia at an altitude of 3200 - 4800 m (10,600-16,000 ft) and can live over 100 years, flowering just once. At intervals of 2-3 years new flowers emerge on the spike.
The smallest flowers in the world belong to the smallest flowering plant, a species of watermeal called Wolffia arrhiza.
These plants are free-floating thalii (stems), green or yellow-green and without roots, 1-5 mm long. Sometimes it forms inflorescences made of one female flower and two-male one. The whole inflorescence is of maximum 1 mm!
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