Explore how the Rafflesia plant uses parasitic strategies to grow the world’s largest flower, and find out why it smells so bad.

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Deep inside the Sumatran rainforest, a carrion fly descends, guided by the scent of its favorite place to lay eggs: rotting animal carcasses. But when it lands, it isn’t on liquifying flesh, but instead on the world’s biggest, and perhaps strangest, flower— Rafflesia arnoldii. So, how does this giant flower grow? Daniel Nickrent explores the parasitic tendencies of the foul-smelling plant.

Lesson by Daniel Nickrent, directed by Igor Ćorić, Artrake Studio.

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View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-does-this-flower-smell-like-a-dead-body-daniel-nickrent
Dig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-does-this-flower-smell-like-a-dead-body-daniel-nickrent/digdeeper

Animator's website: https://www.artrake.com
Music: https://www.workplaywork.com
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