Rafflesia Quiz: The World's Largest Single Flower

Rafflesia arnoldii can produce a single flower close to a meter across while living as a hidden parasite inside a vine, and this Rafflesia quiz explores its strange biology. Play 10 interactive questions on Sumatra and Borneo, Tetrastigma host vines, carrion flies, Stamford Raffles and Joseph Arnold, long-developing buds and Indonesia's national flowers.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Size
Roughly how wide can a Rafflesia arnoldii flower grow?
Parasite
On what does Rafflesia live as a parasite?
Smell
What does a Rafflesia bloom smell like?
Name
After whom is Rafflesia named?
Island
On which island was Rafflesia arnoldii first recorded by Europeans?
Bloom
How long does a Rafflesia flower stay open?
Bud
How long can a Rafflesia bud take to develop?
Pollinator
Which insects pollinate Rafflesia?
Symbol
Which country counts Rafflesia arnoldii among its national flowers?
Confusion
Which other plant is also called a corpse flower?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Roughly how wide can a Rafflesia arnoldii flower grow?
Answer: About 1 meter
It is the largest single flower known and can weigh around 10 kg.
Q2: On what does Rafflesia live as a parasite?
Answer: Tetrastigma vines
It has no leaves, stems or roots and takes all its nutrients from the vine.
Q3: What does a Rafflesia bloom smell like?
Answer: Rotting meat
The odor attracts carrion flies that carry pollen.
Q4: After whom is Rafflesia named?
Answer: Stamford Raffles
It was named after Raffles, leader of the 1818 expedition, and naturalist Joseph Arnold.
Q5: On which island was Rafflesia arnoldii first recorded by Europeans?
Answer: Sumatra
The 1818 expedition found it in southwestern Sumatra.
Q6: How long does a Rafflesia flower stay open?
Answer: About five to seven days
After a few days, the flower blackens and decays.
Q7: How long can a Rafflesia bud take to develop?
Answer: Many months
Buds emerge from the vine and swell slowly before opening.
Q8: Which insects pollinate Rafflesia?
Answer: Carrion flies
Flies are tricked into visiting by the scent and color of decaying flesh.
Q9: Which country counts Rafflesia arnoldii among its national flowers?
Answer: Indonesia
It is one of Indonesia's three national flowers.
Q10: Which other plant is also called a corpse flower?
Answer: The titan arum
Both stink of rotting meat, but the titan arum is an inflorescence, not a single flower.

Rafflesia Quiz – A Giant Flower With No Leaves

Rafflesia is a genus of parasitic plants found in the rainforests of Southeast Asia, including Sumatra, Borneo and the Philippines. Rafflesia arnoldii produces the largest single flower known, close to a meter wide.

The plant lives hidden inside Tetrastigma vines, with no leaves, stems or roots. Buds take months to develop, and the bloom lasts only about a week. Its smell of rotting meat attracts carrion flies, which pollinate it.

The genus is named after Stamford Raffles and naturalist Joseph Arnold, who saw it in Sumatra in 1818. Rafflesia arnoldii is one of Indonesia's national flowers, and many species are threatened by forest loss.

What This Quiz Teaches

Plant lovers and students will enjoy these questions.

How big the flower gets
How it lives as a parasite
What attracts its pollinators
Who it is named after
Where it grows

Did You Know?

Rafflesia flowers are reddish with pale spots.
Separate male and female flowers must bloom near each other.
Local guides track buds for tourists.
Some species are smaller than a hand.
Rafflesia cannot be grown easily in gardens.