The Department of Tourism – Northern Mindanao spotted the world’s largest flower Rafflesia at the foot of Mt. Kitanglad.
The said Flower can be viewed through riding a jeep or multicab at Malaybalay City Terminal to Kaatuan, Lantapan, Bukidnon.
However, people are required to coordinate with the Lantapan Local Tourism Office for the view and sighting of the flower.
Rafflesia is also known as Corpse Flower due to its rotten flesh smell, the flower grows in the Cinchona Forest Reserve located within the Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park in the Northwestern part of Municipality of Lantapan, Province of Bukidnon.
The flower is an iconic symbol of southeast Asian rainforest, and has been depicted on several Indonesian postage stamps.
It consists of about 28 species native to Southeast Asia, all of which are parasitic upon the roots of Tetrastigma vines (family Vitaceae).
Its fully developed flower appears above ground as a thick fleshy five-lobed structure weighing up to 11 kg (24 pounds) and measuring almost one meter (about one yard) across.
Its petals remain open five to seven days, emitting a fetid odor that attracts carrion-feeding flies, which are believed to be the pollinating agents. The flower’s color is reddish or purplish brown, sometimes in a mottled pattern, with the sex organs in a central cup.
There are no green photosynthetic tissues, leaves, roots, or stems in the generally accepted sense, although vestiges of leaves exist in some species as scales.
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