Is the world's largest flower Raflesia smell really toilet?

Do you know the flower called Raflesia? It is a flower famous for attracting insects by the world's largest flower that only bakes for only 5 days in the lifetime, and a smell like a toilet. In fact, I actually checked whether Rafflesia really smells.

Hello!World newspaperA special reporterTomohiro Uetake (Tomohiro Utame)is. I am currently traveling around the world, I am in Bangkok, Thailand, Thailand. (Red line is an air route, blue line moves over the land)


Once I left the Malay Peninsula Kitakami journey on May 24,BorneoMalaysia in the northeastern partKota KinabaluI visited the city. There is only one reason. It is to see the phantom giant flower Raflesia.


◆ What is Raflesia
Wikipedia's "RaflesiaAccording to the article, the distribution area is Southeast Asia Island Department and Malay Peninsula. It is known as the largest flower in the world, reaching about 90 cm in diameter. It is an "all parasitic plant" parasitic on the roots of Vitaceae plants, without stalks, roots and leaves, flowers bloom directly from parasitic tissue. Not only is the appearance color and texture similar to dead meat, but also gives off a bad odor.

◆ How to search
I tried gathering information quickly to see Rafflesia, but most of it is a Borneo island called the jungle and it can not be found by searching alone alone.


So, first we headed to Rafflesia Nature Reserve Center.


To get there, take the minibus to TAMBUNAN from the bus terminal in front of MERDEKA FIELD in the center of Kota Kinabalu and get off on the way. Because it is along the route, if you tell the destination you will drop off in front of Reserve Center. The required time is one and a half hours and the charge is 10 ringgit (about 320 yen).


The minibus departs as soon as people gather. Also, since minibuses coming from TAMBUNAN on the way back are possibly full, it would be nice to tell the driver that they want to get on the way back.

The Reserve Center introduces the ecology of Raflesia in detail.


A full-size model is also exhibited.


The explanatory note is written in English, but because there are a lot of technical terms of botany, it was difficult.


◆ Reason why Raflesia is called vision
Together with the guide's story and materials, it seems very rare that a short-stay traveler can see Rafflesia for the following reasons.

1. Parasitic plants are limited
2. Because the process from infesting species to parasitic plants in the family is still enigmatic, cultivation is difficult
3. The bud period is as long as 1 year or longer, and it is difficult to predict the flowering time
It will only bloom for 4.5 days (about 3 days for real time)
5. The season of bloom is not decided

◆ Finally confronted with Raflesia
Where knowledge of Rafflesia came in somehow, I asked whether or not crucial Rafflesia is in bloom. Then it will take me with 52 ringgit (about 1650 yen) by including guide fee and environmental conservation fee. Please do it quickly, depart for two motorcycle riding (no helmet)!


However, it stopped quickly in less than 10 minutes. Is it going to enter the jungle from here?


Apparently it seems like that.


Ten minutes down the slope without road,


Before the guide pointed to ... ... Raflesia discovered! However……


small! Is it? Diameter is about 25 cm. The touch was close to the cabbage elasticity.


Luckily, with the bud that just grew ... ...


Bud that seems to come out soon ...


And I could see the dead Rafflesia.


◆ Types and Distribution of Rafflesia
What I saw this time was much smaller than I expected. According to the guide, there seems to be some kind in Rafflesia, and the size also seems to have a width from 15 cm to 90 cm.


It seems that this time I saw Rafflesia pricei.


In addition, although it was Raflesia who thought that it will bloom only on Borneo Island until this visit, it seems to be widely distributed in Southeast Asia such as the Philippines and the Malay Peninsula (mainland Malaysia / Thailand) and Indonesia.


◆ Ruflesia smells of toilet?
It is flies, not bees or butterflies, carrying pollen from Raflesia. For that reason, it is said that the flowers of Rafflesia emit a smell like a toilet.


I tried smelling as it was a big problem ... but, odorless. I only smell the surrounding soil. According to the guide, it is only in a very short period of time that Raflesia emits a smell, and it also depends on its type. A little relieved, a bit disappointing.


◆ I still want to see the big ones!
A small roughness was seen, but this is not the end. Aiming is bigger Rafflesia. On another dayMount KinabaluWhen I went to see, I found a certain card. According to it, it is said that Raflesia with a diameter of about 80 cm is blooming from May 26 th to 31 th May. At this time, the date is May 27th, in full bloom.


The next day, I headed straight ahead, in Peti surat 57 89308 Ranau Sabah ... ...


It is Kokob Rafflesia Observation Garden.


For directions, take the minibus to RANAU from the bus terminal in front of MERDEKA FIELD in the center of Kota Kinabalu and get off at the terminal RANAU. The summary is two hours and the fare is 20 ringgit (about 640 yen). You can get there from the taxi 20 minutes by taxi and the fare is 5 to 10 ringgit (about 160 yen to 320 yen).

The appearance is a very ordinary private house.


Paying admission fee of 30 ringgit (approx. 950 yen), walking down the deck made of bamboo ......


A huge red brown huge flower is about 5 m ahead!


This is Rafflesia Keithii kind of roughness. For protection of flowers and buds, we can not approach or touch, but there is plenty of presence here as well. As I had written on the paste, there was about 80 cm in diameter.


It is a toilet odor to worry about ... ... I tried to sniff the baffle somehow, but I do not know the smell because of the distance. Again a little relieved, a bit disappointing. However, he was flying, and he was telling the stupidity of that smell even from afar.

◆ Summary
Whether it can be seen or not is Rafflesia depending on luck. Even if it is seen, it seems that it depends on luck whether or not the smell smells. If you visit Borneo Island where the wilderness is full, why do not you try looking for roughness in luck trying? However, there is a possibility that the smell of the toilet will be caused depending on the type, so be careful when you come close!

Sentence / coverage: Tomohiro Uetakehttps://twitter.com/hiro_uetaken

Supervision: World newspaperSekaishinbun.net