These are photos of Rafflesia pricei from the Malaysian province of Sabah which occupies the northernmost part of Borneo. Rafflesias are interesting for a variety of reasons. They range from southern Thailand south through Sumatra and Java and east to Borneo and the Phillipines. They include the largest flowers in the world up to 31/2 feet across and weighing 9-12 kg. There are a limited number of species, approx. 15 to 18 depending on differing interpretations of taxonomy. All are local at best, and several described species haven’t been located in many years and may be extinct. In place of sweet or musky scent they give off an aroma of decaying meat so as to attract the flies that serve as their pollinators. The buds takes a few months to grow but then remain open as a bloom only 4-8 days before rapidly decaying. The plant exists only as a flower with no stem or leaves and exclusively as a parasite on certain species of liana (woody vines). As you can see unique, exotic, and somewhat photogenic.