Kakamot Plushie - Binangkai the Rafflesia (Small)

The Binangkai plushie is inspired by the rare Rafflesia Keithii species and approx. 17cm across.

Rafflesia is a genus of parasitic flowering plants and it is the largest flower in the world with recent flowers found measuring up to 95cm (3 feet) across. There are 55 species of Rafflesia, of which 9 are found in Borneo.

Rafflesia has no stems, leaves, or roots and lives inside the vines of another plant. The only part of the plant that can be seen outside the host vine is the five-petalled flower.

The flowers look and smell like rotting flesh, hence its local names which translate to "corpse flower" or "binangkai" in Dusun language. The foul odor attracts insects such as flies, which transport pollen from male to female flowers. Most species have separate male and female flowers, but a few have hermaphroditic flowers. Little is known about seed dispersal.

Rafflesia is the official state flower of Sabah state in Malaysia. Rafflesia was found in the Indonesian rain forest by an Indonesian guide working for Dr. Joseph Arnold in 1818, and named after Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the leader of the expedition. In Malays, Rafflesia was known as Bunga Pakma.