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On the Origin of Species: Gloom and Vileplume (view source)
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[[File:Rafflesia.jpg|200px|thumb|left|''Rafflesia arnoldii'' flower and buds in Sabah, Malaysia]]In addition, the flowers give off an extremely pungent smell similar to rotten meat. They seem to resemble rotting flesh visually, too. Given that we're used to flowers that smell pleasant, or at the very least inoffensive, this seems very odd. But if we look more closely, we can see that a sweet-smelling flower and a pungent-smelling flower are actually two ways of achieving the same objective: {{wp|pollination}}. A regular flower attracts insects with its sweet scent. The insects get covered in the flower's pollen, which they then spread to other flowers of the same species, resulting in pollination. Insects are drawn to sweet scents because it usually means that there's food for them. And many insects are also drawn to rotting meat, for exactly the same reason. Flies and other insects are attracted to ''Rafflesia'' flowers by the scent of what appears to be a free meal, and then end up spreading the plant's pollen to others of its kind. Though they couldn't be more different to our delicate noses, these are actually two examples of the same reproductive strategy. | [[File:Rafflesia.jpg|200px|thumb|left|''Rafflesia arnoldii'' flower and buds in Sabah, Malaysia]]In addition, the flowers give off an extremely pungent smell similar to rotten meat. They seem to resemble rotting flesh visually, too. Given that we're used to flowers that smell pleasant, or at the very least inoffensive, this seems very odd. But if we look more closely, we can see that a sweet-smelling flower and a pungent-smelling flower are actually two ways of achieving the same objective: {{wp|pollination}}. A regular flower attracts insects with its sweet scent. The insects get covered in the flower's pollen, which they then spread to other flowers of the same species, resulting in pollination. Insects are drawn to sweet scents because it usually means that there's food for them. And many insects are also drawn to rotting meat, for exactly the same reason. Flies and other insects are attracted to ''Rafflesia'' flowers by the scent of what appears to be a free meal, and then end up spreading the plant's pollen to others of its kind. Though they couldn't be more different to our delicate noses, these are actually two examples of the same reproductive strategy. | ||
Indeed, ''Rafflesia'' isn't the only group of plants to mimic the smell of rotting flesh, although it probably puts more effort into the illusion than others do. It's not surprising, then, that they're commonly known as 'corpse flowers'. While they remain relatively obscure in the West, Japan seems to have developed a fondness for ''Rafflesia'', and they can often be glimpsed in various anime series and video games. The fact that they inspired two {{ | Indeed, ''Rafflesia'' isn't the only group of plants to mimic the smell of rotting flesh, although it probably puts more effort into the illusion than others do. It's not surprising, then, that they're commonly known as 'corpse flowers'. While they remain relatively obscure in the West, Japan seems to have developed a fondness for ''Rafflesia'', and they can often be glimpsed in various anime series and video games. The fact that they inspired two {{bp|Generation I|first-generation}} Pokémon could also be taken as proof of their cultural significance. | ||
As far as their resemblance to their real-life counterparts go, Gloom and Vileplume's Pokédex entries mostly focus on the smell that they produce, and the fact that Vileplume's flower is the biggest in the world. Visually, Vileplume's design is closer to the flowering ''Rafflesia arnoldii'', while Gloom's smaller flower and round body suggests that it is based on a bud in the process of flowering. Both Pokémon's bodies have the dark purple color of ''Rafflesia bulbs'', and contain no green pigments. | As far as their resemblance to their real-life counterparts go, Gloom and Vileplume's Pokédex entries mostly focus on the smell that they produce, and the fact that Vileplume's flower is the biggest in the world. Visually, Vileplume's design is closer to the flowering ''Rafflesia arnoldii'', while Gloom's smaller flower and round body suggests that it is based on a bud in the process of flowering. Both Pokémon's bodies have the dark purple color of ''Rafflesia bulbs'', and contain no green pigments. | ||