BEAUTIFUL PARASITE
WALKING TO KHAO SOK NATIONAL PARK TRACING THE BIGGEST FLOWER PARASITE IN THE WORLD WHICH ARE FOUND ONLY IN THE RAINFORESTS IN THE SOUTH OF THAILAND, THE MALAYA PENINSULA AND INDONESIA
Trek to the Rafflesia Flower
The flowering season falls between January and March.
The biggest flower on earth can be found in Khao Sok !
Fully open flower of Rafflesia
Flower bud, in a later stage of opening.
Close-up view of two Rafflesia anthers dehiscing the pollen in a sticky fluid.
Fully open flower of Rafflesia
Agreement before booking :This trip can only be booked upon arrival. As the departure time and duration depends on the blooming of the flowers. advance booking We cannot guarantee that you will see the flowers in bloom.
DESCRIPTION :
The Rafflesia, (in Thai : bua phut) is the biggest flower in the world! And can be found in Khao Sok!
When it blossoms, it measures 80cm in diameter. The flower only lasts 5 days. The flowers grows only when it’s raining during a couple of days. The flower has no roots or leaves of its own.
There are many different areas where we can find this flower in the park. If it is the flowering season, we can take you by car to the park, and guide you through the jungle for about 5-10km, in search of these wonderful flowers!
About Rafflesia
Rafflesia is a parasitic plant with no leaves or roots on its own. It invades the liana vines and like a parasite, it absorbs all the vine's nutrients.Once a year small buds begin to develop beneath the root bark of the vine. As they mature, they swell, breaking through the bark, to the size of a football. They then burst open revealing the massive flower, which can be up to 80 cm. in diameter and is ocra, yellow, chesnut and white in colour.
Flies pollinate Bua Phut, attracted by the sweet, slicky smell. A female flower is polinated oly by a male flower, and chances are reduced, not only by its rarity, but also because it only flowers for 3-4 days, then it shrivels and dies.
Rafflesia is found in only countries on the Sunda shelf, namely Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. It get its name from Sir Stanford Raffles, who first found specimens of another species in Sabah, East Malaysia.
Rafflesia Flower Hike
Khao Sok National Park, Thailand
