• 

  A blooming Rafflesia kerrii.

• 

  Gan measuring the diameter of the Rafflesia kerrii.

Enlarge

TAIPING: The world's biggest Rafflesia was found in Kelantan!

A Rafflesia kerrii, measuring 112 cm in diameter and weighing 9kg, was discovered last year by botanist Gan Canglin (name transliterated) at an altitude of 3,500 meters on the mountainside of Gunung Chamah in Kelantan.

According to Gan, the male Rafflesia flower was in full bloom when it was found. It has 5 lobes and 45 anthers.

After he conducted some research on the flower, he found out that unlike other species of the Rafflesia flower, the Rafflesia kerrii does not exude a strong smell. Furthermore, this flower contains a strong alkaloid that causes its diaphragm and petals to darken to a chocolate brown colour overnight.

"After verification, this flower is the world's biggest ever Rafflesia," Gan continued.

Before that, the largest Rafflesia found belonged to the species Rafflesia arnoldii. It was 100cm in diameter.

Gan first found a specimen of Rafflesia keririi on February 1992 in a village located at an altitude of 3,200 meters on Gunung Chamah. That specimen was only 100 cm in diameter.

Rafflesias were once prolific in the Sungai Pres area of Gunung Chamah. However, it is now facing extinction due to harvesting by aboriginals in the area.

The aboriginals don't harvest the flowers for their own use. Instead, the flowers are sold to superstitious people who believe that they possess medicinal properties.

Got a tip? Send comments and feedback to: Kookynews