Definition of rafflesia in English:
rafflesia
noun rəfliːˈzɪərəˈfliːʒɪərəˈflēZHə
A parasitic plant which lacks chlorophyll and bears a single very large flower which smells of carrion, native to Malaysia and Indonesia.
Genus Rafflesia, family Rafflesiaceae: several species, including R. arnoldii, with flowers over 60 cm (2 ft) across
Example sentencesExamples
- Borneo is a botanist's paradise, with its orchids and rafflesia, the world's largest flower.
- The most exotic of all is the rafflesia, a cabbagey survivor of ancient days, which measures up to a metre across and makes its living by devouring insects and small mammals.
- The 750 or so square kilometres of rainforest surrounding the mountain is one of the world's best-known botanical paradises and is home to the rafflesia, the world's largest flower.
Origin
Modern Latin, named after Sir T. Stamford Raffles (see Raffles, Sir Stamford).