Review Rafflesia Arnoldii

Rafflesia Arnoldii is a genus of parasitic flowering plants. He was found in the rain forests of Indonesia by an Indonesian guide working for Dr. Joseph Arnold in 1818, and named after Thomas Stamford Raffles, the leader of the expedition. It consists of approximately 27 species (including four incompletely as recognized by Meijer 1997), all found in Southeast Asia, on the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra, and the Philippines. This plant has no stems, leaves or true roots. Rafflesia is endoparasit on the vines of the genus Tetrastigma (family Vitaceae), spreading haustoriumnya-like roots inside the vines network. The only part of Rafflesia plants that can be seen outside their host plants are flowers crowned five. In some species, such as Rafflesia arnoldii, the diameter of the flower may be more than 100 cm and weighing up to 10 kg. Even the smallest species, the Rafflesia manillana, flower diameter 20 cm. The flowers look and smell like rotting meat, which was why he called the "corpse flower" or "meat flower". Bad smell flowers attract insects such as flies and dung beetles, which carry pollen from the male flowers to the female flowers. Little is known about the spread of seeds. However, squirrels and other forest mammals turned out to eat the fruit and spread the seeds. Rafflesia is the official flower of Indonesia, as well as the province of Surat Thani, Thailand.

The name "corpse flower" which is used for Rafflesia is confusing because a common name is also used to refer to Amorphophallus titanum (giant suweg / stem krebuit) of the family Araceae. Moreover, because Amorphophallus having unbranched inflorescence in the world, it is sometimes mistakenly regarded as the largest flower in the world. Both Rafflesia and Amorphophallus are flowering plants, but their kinship away. Rafflesia arnoldii have single flowers from all over the world flowering plants, at least when people judge from the weight. Amorphophallus titanum has the largest unbranched inflorescence, while palm Talipot (Corypha umbraculifera) has the largest unbranched inflorescence, consisting of thousands of flowers; This plant monokarpik, which means that each individual die after flowering.

Philippine species 

Since 2002 there is a lot of activity by Filipino scientists who have discovered and named several new species of Rafflesia. Before this time there are two known species: R. manillana and R. schadenbergiana, the latter species was last seen in 1882 at Mount Apo in Davao province on Mindanao island, yet it is considered extinct. the following is the sequence of these activities:

* Rafflesia 2002. One was found in the province of Antique pegunungandi different from Rafflesia which has been described previously. He was named Rafflesia speciosa by Barcelona and Fernando (Kew Bulletin, 57: 647-651, 2002).

* 2005. Another Rafflesia found in the Philippines by Drs. Fernando and Ong in remote mountain Candalaga, Maragusan, Compostela Valley in Mindanao province. He was named Rafflesia mira by Fernando and Ong (2005 Asia Life Sciences 14: 263-270). Another group (Madulid et al. 2005 Acta Manilana 53: 1-6) publish the name of the other (R. magnifica) later, then R. mira become nomenclature valid name. R. mira (45-60 cm diameter), roughly the same size as R. speciosa (45-56 cm) from the province of Antique, but larger than R. manillana of Luzon (14-20 cm diameter). 2005. During the expedition to the mountain and mountain Igtuog Sakpaw in Central Panay mountain range in April 2005, Renee Galang find Rafflesia undescribed. It is named after R. lobata by Galang and Madulid (2006, Folia Malaysiana 7: 1-8).

2006. Danny Balete collect Rafflesia which has not terdeskripsi 1991 in southern Luzon Bicol Region. This collection is not recognized as a new species until further field work confirms that this is a different taxon from R. manillana. Some populations were also seen in the province of Camarines Sur (Mount Isarog and Mt. Iriga)] near Buhi and Iriga City. It is named after R. baletei by Barcelona, ​​Cajano, and Hadsall (2006 Kew Bulletin 61: 231-237). R. R. irigaense name or irigaensestidak valid and refer to the same taxon.

2007. In 1994 Pascal Lays rediscover buds R. schadenbergiana in South Cotabato. His paper reporting these results have recently been published. Moreover, Dr. Julie Barcelona reported the discovery of other populations of this endangered species in Bukidnon (flora malesiana Bulletin, submitted; see also Parasitic Plant Connection). 

2007. Mount Banahaw on the island of Luzon, objective mountaineers and religious groups seems, until the times of the new course, an unlikely place to find a new species of Rafflesia. But it is. Ironically, the two papers have been published this Rafflesia named as a new species. It turns out the first by Madulid et al. (2006, Philippine Scientist 43: 43-51 - but only available July 2007) and the second by Barcelona et al. (2007, Blumea 52: 345-350). Thus, the correct name is R. banahawensis, not R. Banahaw.

2007. Fieldwork and other herbarium about Rafflesia originally known as R. manillana of Mount Makiling get a description of a new species, R. panchoana by DA Madulid and colleagues (2007, Acta Manilana 55: 43-47 - but available only in 2008).

2008. Kinapawan remote site in the coastal town of Lal-lo, Cagayan Valley, the Rafflesia becoming known botanists Philippines. Working with staff CAVAPPED, CI, and the DENR, Julie Barcelona visit the site and collect these types of Rafflesia. R. Leonardi similar to R. manillana (from Samar and Luzon) and R. lobata of Panay from the diaphragm aperture width and flowers that grow on the roots and aerial parts of the vine. However, he is different because he is bigger (up to 34 cm), the central disk is almost tender or marked shrinkage process, and the absence of white patches in the flower tube. Determined that this is a new species and named in honor of Leonardo Co who is an expert on flora Cagayan (2008 Blumea 53: 223-228). He is a 5th Rafflesia are found on the island of Luzon and the 9th of the Philippines. Popular articles describing the present invention can be found in the following references.