rafflesia

noun

raf·fle·sia | \ rə-ˈflē-zh(ē-)ə

, ra- \

Definition of rafflesia

: any of a genus (Rafflesia of the family Rafflesiaceae) of Malaysian dicotyledonous plants that are parasitic in other plants and have fleshy usually foul-smelling apetalous flowers emerging from the host, imbricated scales in place of leaves, and no stems

Examples of rafflesia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The rafflesia belongs to a parasitic genus native to Southeast Asia, and so far scientists have failed to grow one outside of its native range. — Kristy Totten, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Nov. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rafflesia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.