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Rafflesia (scientific name: Rafflesia), also known as Rafflesia, Rafflesia, is a tropical plant known for its large and unusual flowers, of whichArnold Rafflesia (Rafflesia arnoldii)It is recognized as the largest flower in the world. Rafflesia is a parasitic plant, without roots, stems or leaves, but depends on the host plant for nutrients.
The flowers of Rafflesia are very large, up to 1 meter in diameter and weigh up to 10 kg. They have no true leaves, but consist of fleshy perianth. The perianth usually displays red, orange or pink patches and patterns, and the flowers bloom with a strong foul smell to attract pollinating insects.
discovery process
Rafflesia was originally a plant discovered by the Frenchman Louis Auguste Deschamps (Louis Deschamps) during his scientific expedition in Java (Java), and he described and recorded it in detail. However, Deschamps was in the midst of the Anglo-French war on his way back home, and his ship was escorted to England. Because Deschamps was a Frenchman, he was suspected of being a spy by the British generals, so all his notebooks were confiscated, which led to Rafflesia’s information. buried in the world. Until 1818, a scientific expedition led by the British botanist Joseph Arnold (Joseph Arnold) and the founder of the Singapore colony Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles (Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles) rediscovered in Sumatra, Indonesia. Rafflesia, and named it Rafflesia in honor of Raffles. andArnold Rafflesia (Rafflesia arnoldii)The species name "arnoldii" was named in honor of Joseph Arnold.
Morphological characteristics
Rafflesia is known for its unique and eye-catching flowers, the following is a description of its morphological characteristics:
huge flowersRafflesia: The flower of Rafflesia is one of the largest flowers in the world, with a diameter of up to 1 meter and a weight of 10 kilograms or more, which makes it the giant of flowers in the plant kingdom.
Leafless and Stemless: Rafflesia is a parasitic plant without true roots, stems or leaves. They depend on the roots or stems of their host plants for nutrients.
fleshy perianth: Rafflesia flowers consist of fleshy perianth without the typical petals or calyx. The perianth is usually red, orange, or pink in color with patches and patterns.
foul smell: When Rafflesia blooms, it emits a foul smell, sometimes described as carrion or feces. This stench attracts flies and other insects, especially scavengers, as a medium for pollination and sowing, so Rafflesia is also called corpse flower.
short flowering period: The flowering time of Rafflesia is very short, lasting only a few days to about a week. During this time, the flowers will gradually unfurl, emit an unpleasant odor, and then quickly wither and rot.
no chlorophyll: Because Rafflesia has no chlorophyll, they cannot carry out photosynthesis and completely depend on the host plant to provide nutrients.
Geographical distribution and growth environment
Rafflesia is mainly distributed in the tropical rainforest areas of Southeast Asia.Indonesia, Malaysia, PhilippinesRafflesia can be seen in other places. The growth environment of Rafflesia is unique and relatively harsh. These specific growth conditions limit the distribution range of Rafflesia, making it a relatively rare and precious plant. The following is a brief introduction to the growth environment of Rafflesia:
RainforestRafflesia: Rafflesia mainly grows in tropical rainforest areas, and these areas usually have high temperature and high humidity climate conditions, which provide a suitable growth environment for Rafflesia.
host plant: Rafflesia is a parasitic plant that relies on specific host plants to obtain nutrients, and they usually parasitize on grapevine climbing plants.
dark environment: Rafflesia likes to grow in a shady environment, rarely exposed to sunlight directly, and has low tolerance to strong sunlight and sunlight.
specific altitude range: Rafflesia usually grows in low-altitude areas, and the altitude generally does not exceed 1000 meters.
Rafflesia's Crisis
There are nearly 30 varieties of Rafflesia. Due to the very slow growth cycle and the low success rate of natural reproduction, coupled with the continuous shrinking of the tropical rainforest, the habitat of Rafflesia is seriously threatened. Therefore, in 1984, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources listed Rafflesia as "Endangered plants most threatened worldwide", calling for a global effort to protect this species. In addition, Sabah, Malaysia also legislated in 1997 to list Rafflesia as a protected plant, providing it with legal protection.
external link
The time-lapse process of Rafflesia from flowering to withering:
References
1. Rafflesia– Wikipedia
2. Bendiksby, Mika; Schumacher, Trond; Gussarova, Galina; Nais, Jamili; Mat-Salleh, Kamarudin; Sofiyanti, Nery; Madulid, Domingo; Smith, Stephen A. & Barkman, Todd. Elucidating the evolutionary history of the Southeast Asian, holoparasitic, giant-flowered Rafflesiaceae: Pliocene vicariance, morphological convergence and character displacement. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 2010-11-01, 57 (2): 620–633.
3. Rafflesia- Baidu Encyclopedia
4. The pictures in the article are all from the CC0 free gallery.
