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There are many beautiful flowers in the world. What's your favorite
flower? There are so many flowers to choose from. So it's hard to
pick one flower, right? Well,
as for me, my favorite flower
is the lilac. It has a very beautiful lavender color. And it has a
very sweet smell! But the lilac is not a very big flower.
So, do you know what the largest flower in the world is? What about
the world's smallest flower? If you don't know the answers, keep reading
and find out!
 What
Is the Largest Flower in the World?
If you want to see the largest flower in the world, you have to visit
Indonesia. The world's largest flower is called the Rafflesia arnoldii. This
rare flower is found in the
rainforests of Indonesia.
It can grow to be 91 centimeters across and 7 kilograms! Interestingly, this flower
has no visible leaves, roots, or
stem. It is a parasitic plant. This means
that it lives in another plant of a different type. It attaches itself to a host plant to get water and
nutrients.
When in bloom, the Rafflesia sends
out a bad smell. The smell is similar to that of rotting meat. The bad smell
attracts insects that pollinate the plant.
 What
Is the Smallest Flower in the World?
We've just learned about the world's largest flower. Then, what is
the world's smallest flower? You can find the answer in the U.S. If
you visit Florida, you can see a tiny plant called the water-meal.
It is a small, floating, rootless plant.
At 1 to 1.5 millimeters long, it is the smallest flowering plant on
Earth. It is about the size of one candy sprinkle! It can weigh about
1/190,000 of an ounce, equivalent to two grains of table salt. It
is commonly found in still waters, often mixed with other duckweeds. But it is very
small. So it is very hard to see it!
Each water-meal flower is made up of a single pistil
and stamen. It produces the world's smallest fruit. The fruit is called
a utricle. The plant is found in quiet freshwater lakes or marshes.
Since the plants have no roots, they can easily float on the surface
of the water. And they look like cornmeal! |
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