Rafflesia

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Rafflesia \Raf*fle"si*a\ (r[a^]f*fl[=e]"zh[i^]*[.a]), n. [NL.
     Named from its discoverer, Sir S. Raffles.] (Bot.)
     A genus of stemless, leafless plants, living parasitically
     upon the roots and stems of grapevines in Malaysia. The
     flowers have a carrionlike odor, and are very large, in one
     species ({Rafflesia Arnoldi}) having a diameter of two or


     three feet.
     [1913 Webster]