rəˈflēzh(ē)ə, raˈ-, -zēə noun
Etymology: New Latin, from Sir Stamford Raffles died 1826 English colonial administrator + New Latin -ia
1. capitalized : a genus (the type of the family Rafflesiaceae) of Malaysian stemless leafless plants having huge dioecious apetalous flowers that grow parasitically on the stems and roots of various plants of the genus Cissus, have a calyx of five spreading fleshy lobes, and usually exhale an odor like that of carrion
2. -s : any plant of the genus Rafflesia