A flower that begins beneath the bark

Rafflesia’s life cycle

A flower without leaves 🌿 The book describes Sumatran Rafflesia growing from wild vines, not as a leafy plant of its own.

Rafflesia’s life cycle

The first sign is on the vine 🌱 Its buds push through the vine’s bark like little buttons, the book reports.

Rafflesia’s life cycle

Buttons become buds 🌿 The book says they swell into shapes like closed cabbages before opening about three months after first appearing.

Rafflesia’s life cycle

Then comes a brief, rank bloom 🌺 The flower smells, the book says, like tainted beef; it stays in good condition only briefly before rotting.

Rafflesia’s life cycle

The book offers a fly theory 🪰 It says Dr. Arnold thought the smell fooled flies into mistaking the flower’s fleshy disc for carrion.

Rafflesia’s life cycle

After the bloom rots, the story continues 🌿 The central disc develops into a large rough fruit containing many small, simple seeds, the book reports.

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