Rafflesia Arnoldii: largest individual flower in world

SOUTH PARIS — Amy Edwards amazed her fellow Paris Public Library's Geo Kids with the life size display she made of Rafflesia Arnoldii, the largest single flower in the world. Amy informed the group that the actual rare red flower with white spots grows on the floor of the Amazon Jungle in South America and smells like "rotting flesh." It is approximately three feet across from petal to petal and the flower alone weighs about 15 to 20 pounds. It takes nine to 12 months to bloom. The blossom only lasts a few days.

Monthly projects are available for public viewing; they are displayed downstairs in the library in the Juvenile Fiction Room.

Paris Public Library's Geo Kids meet the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 10:30 a.m. For further information, call the Paris Public Library at 743-6994.

Photo:

LARGEST SINGLE FLOWER - Amy Edwards displays her life-size Rafflesia Arnoldii at the Paris Public Library's Geo Kids meeting.