Rafflesia Flower

The genus Rafflesia comprises twenty eight species of parasitic flowering plants. Several species of this flowering plant grow in the Indonesian rainforest. Rafflesia arnoldii, which is known to be the largest flower in the world, is one of the species that belong to the Rafflesiaceae family. It is believed that Rafflesia flower was first discovered by Louis Deschamps in 1790s, however, his notes and illustrations were seized by the British, and he couldn't get the credit of discovering this flower. In the mean time, this flower was found by the members of an expedition led by Sir Stamford Raffles. It was spotted in 1816 in Sumatra, by an Indonesian guide who was working for a naturalist named Dr Joseph Arnold. While the genus was named after Sir Raffles, this particular species was named after Dr Arnold. Scroll down to learn about the characteristics of this flower along with other interesting facts associated with this parasitic flowering plant.

Rafflesia Habitat

Rafflesia grows in the undisturbed rainforests of Indonesia. More than 25 species of this parasitic flowering plant have been spotted in the rainforests of Peninsular Malaysia, Southern Thailand, Java, Sumatra, Borneo and Southern Philippines. There is a risk of these flowering plants losing their habitat due to the clearing or burning of the rainforests. In order to prevent this rare species from approaching extinction, efforts are being made to increase awareness about this endangered or vulnerable genus of flowering plant. Unlike other parasitic plants that may cause damage to crops, this is one plant that provides economic benefit. Many tourists travel to these regions to get a glimpse of this rare flower. Thus, eco-tourism seems to be a great way of preserving the threatened ecosystem, and also promoting the welfare of people inhabiting these places.

Characteristics

Now that you have some idea about this flower's habitat, let's find out more about the characteristics of this rare flowering plant. Given below are some facts about this flower that might interest the Nature lovers.

• Rafflesia plant doesn't comprise leaves, stems and roots. It attaches itself to tetrastigma vine through filaments. The vine provides support to this flowering plant. All the nourishment that is needed for it to grow is also absorbed from the host vine.
• Most of the varieties produce five-petaled speckled reddish-colored flowers, but some of the varieties may produce blooms that have six petals.
• The diameter of the giant five-petaled Rafflesia arnoldii bloom is about a meter and it could weigh anywhere between 15 to 24 pounds.
• The smallest blooms in this genus have a diameter of 20 centimeters, and are produced by a species called Rafflesia manillana.
• Rafflesia doesn't have a specific bloom season. It takes about nine to twelve months for its cabbage-like buds to bloom.
• Spotting this flower is quite difficult as the flower blooms for 5 - 6 days, after which the petals start rotting and wither away.
• The fruit that is left behind matures within 6 to 8 months. Scientists are not sure as to how the seeds get dispersed and attach to the host. It's possible that the sticky seeds may be carried around by animals and dropped around the host vine.
• A rotten smell emanates from the reddish branched scales inside the corolla of petals. It is believed that the smell attracts the insects which act as carriers of pollen from male to female flowers.
• Since male and female flowers are separate, transfer of pollen is quite difficult. Only when male and female flowers are in close proximity and are open at the same time, insects can transfer pollen.

Rafflesia is a rare genus and efforts are needed to prevent this rare genus from becoming extinct. Since the pollination is rare, and the survival of this plant depends on other factors such as dispersal of seeds and finding a host, the need to preserve the plants from this genus is even greater. The best way to ensure that the future generations are able to see this marvelous creation of Nature would be to preserve their habitat.