The world's largest flower found on the Sumatra Islands is NOT the Rafflesia!

Amorphophallus titanum, also know as the titan arum, is a flowering plant with the largest flower in the world. The flower bloomed recently after a long time in Tokyo. The flower is one of the world's oldest and largest flower species.

The largest of these flowers is reported to have reached 3.5 metres tall. Although it takes years for the flower to bloom, when it does, it is truly a spectacular visual.

Some interesting and unknown facts you must know about the world's oldest and largest flower:

• Amorphophallus Titanum belongs to the 'Araceae' family

• Amorphophallus Titanum is an unbranched inflorescence which is also known as Titan Arum

• In 1878, the Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari first described the flower scientifically

• In 1889, the flower was first sowed for cultivation in the Royal Botanic Gardens in London

• The flower has an overpowering smell of rotten meat and therefore, is also called the 'corpse flower'

• Titan Arum is a herbaceous plant which blooms three to four times in its 45-year life span. Tokyo's Jindai Botanical Garden was open for four days, allowing visitors to have a glimpse and admire it

• Titan Arum is majorly found in Indonesia. The flower is native to the island of Sumatra which is over 100 to 150 metres above the sea level

• The flower is 2 metres high, i.e. 6.56 feet. The plants can grow up to 3 metres high i.e. an estimation of 10 feet

• The flower has a strong odour of rotting meat. When the flower blooms, the flower attracts pollinators. It should not be confused with Rafflesia arnoldii, the largest single-borne flower which also emits a rotting meat odour

• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the flower under vulnerable species due to threat from widespread deforestation.

Interested in General Knowledge and Current Affairs? Click here to stay informed and know what is happening around the world with our G.K. and Current Affairs section.

To get more updates on Current Affairs, send in your query by mail toeducation.intoday@gmail.com