It was first scientifically collected in 1902 by Sijfert Hendrik Koorders on the eastern flanks of Mount Puger Watangan, a forested hill near the beach, who described it as a new species in 1918.

[3] Many decades later a flowering plant was discovered in Meru Betiri National Park (see photo), also in the Jember Regency somewhat further down the coast to the east.

[8] Rafflesia zollingeriana was first described by Dutch-Indonesian botanist Sijfert Hendrik Koorders in his 1918 monograph on the Rafflesiaceae of Indonesia.

[12] Other Rafflesiaceae experts disagreed, Zuhud et al. considered it a separate species based on morphological differences in their 1998 book Rafflesia Indonesia: keanekaragaman, ekologi, dan pelestariannya, Jamili Nais following this interpretation in his 2001 book Rafflesia of the World,[4] with Agus Susatya agreeing in 2007.

[13] In 2010 molecular studies were published into the genetic variation of the genus Rafflesia; this provided evidence for re-recognition of R. zollingeriana as a distinct species again.

They are parasitic plants, deriving all their nutrition from their host species, which they invade by growing a mycelium-like net of foreign tissue within the roots or stems.

[5] The 'petals', or more correctly the perianth-lobes, are coloured dark red with numerous, small, pale-coloured, wart-like spots, and it is brown-red inside the perianth-tube.

Characteristics of R. zollingeriana are a single, slightly protruding annulus, and within it the central column or columna is capped with a column-disc with an erect rim on the underside with more than ten stout, conical protuberances (processus), which can grow up to 2 cm (0.8 in) in length.

R. rochussenii is the only species on the island in which the elongated warts ('ramenta') on the inside surface of the perianth-tube are shaped as somewhat disc-like knobs on long stalks.

As of 2012 the species is now known to occur at at least 25 different localities throughout the park, distributed primarily along the coast and the main river, but in a few occasions more inland.

[7] In 2018 a plant was rediscovered after 116 years only five kilometres from the original type locality at Resort Pemangkuan Hutan Puger, a local-level forestry reserve administered by the village.

[3][15] Research in Meru Betiri NP using two sample plots found that the tree pancal kidang (Aglaia variegata) is by far the most dominant species where R. zollingeriana grows.

), the lauriferous trees kenari (Canarium denticulatum) and talesan (Persea odoratissima), the climbing palm rotan manis (Daemonorops melanocaetes) and kembang Jlamprangan (?

[15] The buds (knop) were harvested by locals for use in jamu, Javanese herbalism, a situation first reported in the book by Zuhud et al. in 1998.

Traders reported in the 2010s that the business was drying up -demand was softening and thus lowering prices, collection was more difficult due to patrols of forest rangers, and there were few collectors left, thus supply was constricting.

[15] Rafflesia zollingeriana can have a positive effect on the income of local communities by providing employment as guides for ecotourists.

This conservation area is now run by the non-governmental organisation Balai Besar Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Jawa Timur.

[15] Other threats to this species are thought to be collection for herbalism[17][15] (albeit largely stopped), and cutting down the forests (idem).