Rafflesia

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of tropical plant known for producing the largest flowers in the world, which emit a foul odor similar to that of decaying flesh
2. A parasitic flowering plant that belongs to the genus Rafflesia, often found in Southeast Asian rainforests, and is notable for its large size and unpleasant smell
3. An intriguing genus of flowering plants characterized by their massive blooms, which can reach up to three feet in diameter and are known for attracting carrion insects due to their odor

Etymology: Rafflesia is named after Sir Stamford Raffles, the British administrator who helped found Singapore and was a dedicated naturalist in the East Indies. The plant was named in his honour by the botanist Robert Brown, who described it in 1821 from specimens collected in Sumatra. Brown built the name on Raffles's own surname, so the word is a surname turned into a genus name. The word therefore entered English as a learned borrowing of the scientific name, the Latinised label that botanists used to classify the plant. Its meaning is simply the plant's: a genus of parasitic flowering plants whose enormous blooms can reach about three feet across. Nothing in the name describes the flower itself; it is a tribute rather than a description.