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rafflesia

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noun raf·fle·sia \rə-ˈflē-zh(ē-)ə, ra-\

Definition of rafflesia

  1. :  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

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Origin and Etymology of rafflesia

New Latin, from Sir Stamford Raffles †1826 English colonial administrator

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