This issue, we are introducing a new column to the Wire. Borneo is filled with fascinating species of plants and animals that few people know about. In future issues of our newsletter, we will highlight some of these species, each a very important reason why the rainforests of Borneo need to be preserved.
Clash of the (Flowering) Titans
Rafflesia vs. Amorphophallus
A Rafflesia flower, found only in
Borneo and Sumatra. The hand on
the flower gives a good idea of
its giant size.
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The Rafflesia is one of the most attention-grabbing botanical treasures of Borneo. Blooming to a full size of one to three feet in diameter and weighing up to 15 pounds, this is the largest flower in the world. A total parasite, it is devoid of leaves or stem, and depends completely on its host plant, the wild vine Tetrastigma, for water and nutrients. The thick, fleshy red and white flower resembles dead meat crawling with maggots and gives off a putrid stench, attracting meat- and dung-flies for pollination. For this reason, the flower is also called the "stinking corpse flower."
New Borneo Project volunteer
Noriko Toyoda stands next to
an Amorphophallus in Kalimantan,
the Indonesian side of Borneo.
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Another Bornean giant is the Titan Arum (Amorphophallus hewittii), also known as the "corpse flower" for its less-than-fragrant smell. Luckily, the smell lasts only for the first eight hours of the bloom. It stands over six feet tall with a spathe (the leafy part that wraps around the base of bloom) opening up to three or four feet in diameter. Incidentally, its Latin name, Amorphophallus, means "shapeless phallus"--no doubt an observation on its towering shape!
So why isn't the Titan Arum considered the world's largest flower? Technically, it's an "inflorescence," a cluster of smaller flowers. There are thousands of small "true" flowers inside the base of this pillar. These flowering giants can both be found in Borneo, but it may be difficult for a visitor to see them, as both bloom infrequently and the flowers last for only a few days. | 
