The sexual organs of the flower are located under the disc. Unlike flowers in general, Rafflesia flowers have a very disturbing stench, many people equate the smell with rotting flesh. So, it is also known as carrion flower or flesh flower. He was the leader of the Indonesian rainforest expedition team, which is said to have discovered the rafflesia flower, in This giant lotus species was named by Dr.
James Arnold his guide found flowers , who was a member of the Indonesian rainforest expedition led by Sir Stamford Raffles. Rafflesia flower habitats include primary and secondary rainforests in Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, southern Thailand, Borneo, and the southern Philippines.
Including Rare and Near Extinction Plants The bad smell is believed to be one of the adaptations of the Rafflesia flower, which helps the plant to attract pollinators, especially flies.
The smell is said to be stronger in the morning. In addition, there is no guarantee that male and female flowers bloom in the same period and are located close together. It has been observed that male flowers are much more common than female flowers and this affects pollination and reproduction negatively.
Rafflesia is not only a giant flower, but it has no leaves, stems or proper roots. It cannot photosynthesise and instead sucks the food and water out of a particular vine using long thin filaments that look like fungal cells. It gorges itself on the vine for a few years before bursting out into a flower bud, swells for several months before blooming into a flower that looks like a bright red bucket with big thick lobes.
Whether it is going to bloom again the following year depends on several factors such as presence of the right host, and the presence of the opposite sex of the flower for pollination to take place. The plant fails to bloom when its habitat or the forest is disturbed. See bellow the main threats list:.
Among some particular factors that are putting the species in danger, one of the threats for Rafflesia are the illegal collectors as the plant is widely used as a traditional remedy in Southeast Asia, being prescribed for several internal injuries and also to treat infertility.
They usually sell for a hefty price. Habitat Loss. Wildlife Trade. Conservation Programme. Polar bear. False Rosemary. Woolly mammoth. Helena Olive Tree.
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