Utricularia reniformis small form

dodecatheon · Nov 8, 2003

Hmmm, good point. I'm not sure what the question was. I was referring to smallest Utricularia species and smallest plant in general.

What *would* be the largest flower per biomass? Rafflesiana perhaps? As a parasite it is almost all flower, but that seems too easy. Perhaps a small saprophytic orchid species?

Tamlin Dawnstar · Nov 8, 2003

I think you have the largest flower right from what I can recall: it is a vine growing in South America. I remember seeing photos of the bud, and they were larger than a beach ball.

Well, according to Jeeves, the worlds smallest flowering plant is the genus Wolffia in the Duckweed family ( there goes my pride in Utricularia olivacea, sigh).

The largest according to Jeeves : Rafflesia arnoldi.

Giles_KS · Nov 9, 2003

Yes, Rafflesia have the largest flowers, but they grow in Indonesia/Malaysia. The 'saprophytic' orchids are also parasitic, and don't have terribly flowers, so I suppose Rafflesia wins the largest/biomass, although I don't know which non-parasitic species would come first in that.

Tamlin Dawnstar · Nov 12, 2003

Off topic I know, but it depends if you count the spathe type flowers....if you do my vote would be either Amorphophallus or Puya (the former an Aroid, the latter a Bromelliad)

dodecatheon · Nov 13, 2003

Well, if your going to count the entire inflorescence as one flower, then what about the agaves? Some have inflorescences that are the size of telephone poles.

Giles_KS · Nov 13, 2003

Taking this logic to its natural conclusion, I nominate Eucalyptus regnans as the species with the world's largest flower.

Giles

Fernando Rivadavia · Nov 24, 2003

If I remember well, Taylor mentions U.biovularioides as being the smallest of all Utrics, and not U.olivacea. It was mentioned as possibly being the smallest flowering plant IN WEIGHT, while Lemnaceae would have the smallest flwoers I think...

Fernando Rivadavia

Seandew · Nov 25, 2003

Giles,

Eucalyptus regnans or 'Mountain Ash' as we call the tree here in Australia is actually the worlds tallest flowering plant. The flowers are not terribly large or impressive- nowhere near so as the tree itself. They aren't as tall as the Sequoias of California though, at least not any more. Most of the largest E. regnans were cut down over a hundred years ago. Now only photos remain. Some of these were reputed to grow well over 300 feet tall.

Sean.