Rafflesia arnoldii which then pollinate the rare plant. It is not to be confused with the titan arum, "Amorphophallus titanum", which is also commonly referred to as the "corpse flower" because of its repulsive odor. "Rafflesia arnoldii" is rare and fairly hard to locate. It is especially difficult to locate the flower in forests, as the buds take many months to develop and the flower lasts for just a few days. The flowers are unisexual and thus proximity of male and female flowers is vital for successful pollination. These factors make successful pollination a rare event. When "Rafflesia" is ready to reproduce,
Carrion flower anatomically reduced male and female flowers, surrounded by a spathe that resembles a single giant petal. This plant has a mechanism to heat up the spadix enhancing the emission of the strong odor of decaying meat to attract its pollinators, carrion-eating beetles and "flesh flies" (family Sarcophagidae). It was first described scientifically in 1878 in Sumatra. Flowers of plants in the genus "Rafflesia" (family Rafflesiaceae) emit an odor similar to that of decaying meat. This odor attracts the flies that pollinate the plant. The world's largest single bloom is "R. arnoldii". This rare flower is found in the rainforests of