The flower below is from the rafflesia plant found in some tropical rainforests of asia. because of its fleshy appearance and foul odor, similar to rotting meat, it has been called the "corpse flower". how could this be a beneficial adaptation for reproduction? a. the appearance and smell attract decay insects, like flies, that pollinate the plant. b. the appearance and smell attract honey bees and birds that pollinate the plant. c. the appearance and smell keep pollinating birds away from the plant. d. the appearance and smell keep pollinating insects away from the plant.

A. The appearance and smell attract decay insects, like flies, that help pollinate the plant.

Explanation:

Rafflesia arnoldii is a plant member of the Rafflesia genus, whose flower can reach up to 1 meter in diameter and weigh up to 11 kg. Because of its exaggerated size, the plant became known as a “monster flower”. In addition, this flower exhales a very unpleasant smell and because of this smell it became known as "cadaver flower".

As we know the pleasant smell and the good appearance of the flowers end up attracting birds and some insects that help in pollination, allowing the species to survive through the ages. However, the Rafflesia flower has neither attractive smell nor color, this could be a problem for the reproduction of these plants. However, the smell and the unpleasant appearance managed to attract decomposing insects, such as flies, and these insects are able to help pollination.