An international group of scientists has issued an urgent call to save the famous Rafflesia flower as its species faces severe risk of extinction.
What is Rafflesia Flower?
Rafflesia is a rare flower species containing some of the world's largest and stinkiest flowers. It is considered one of the botanical enigmas that have aroused scientists' curiosity for centuries.
Also known as 'corpse flower,' Rafflesia lives in the rainforests of Southeast Asia, such as Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. It is a parasitic plant that infects the tropical vines in the jungles.
Rafflesia is hidden from sight for most of its lifecycle as a system of thread-like filaments that invade its host. It produces a cabbage-like bud at unpredictable intervals, which breaks through the vine's bark. Eventually, this parasitic plant forms a giant, five-lobed flower measuring up to 3.3 feet (1 meter) across. The blooms of this plant are famous for their overwhelming odor of rotting meat. This foul scent is produced to attract flesh-eating flies, which will aid in pollination.
READ ALSO : Rare and Exotic Cactus from Amazon Rainforest is Set to Flower for the First Time in the UK
Threat of Extinction
New species of Rafflesia are still being recorded, but it remains poorly understood due to its elusive lifecycle. To gain a better insight into the plant's vulnerability, a group of researchers established the first coordinated global network to assess the threats faced by Rafflesia.
Botanists from the University of Oxford's Botanic Garden and the University of the Philippines Los Baños examined 42 known Rafflesia species and their habitat to understand the parasitic plant and its conservation status. The result of the study revealed that all 42 Rafflesia species are under threat of extinction. Based on the criteria used by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the researchers classified 25 as 'Critically Endangered,' 15 as 'Endangered', and 2 as 'Vulnerable.' Additionally, more than two-thirds (67%) of the species are unprotected by regional or national conservation strategies.
Due to their highly restricted distributions, Rafflesia species are particularly vulnerable to habitat destruction. The study suggests that many of the remaining populations of this plant contain only a few individuals located in unprotected areas at risk of conversion for agriculture. This makes habitat conservation an urgent priority since efforts to propagate Rafflesia in botanical gardens only have limited success.
To address the threat of extinction, the research team proposes that all Rafflesia species be added to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Currently, only Rafflesia magnifica is the only species listed as critically endangered.
Experts call for actions such as greater protection of the plant's habitat, new methods of propagation, and a better understanding of species that exist. They also recommend encouraging ecotourism so local communities can benefit from the Rafflesia conservation. As forester Adriane Tobias describes, indigenous people are some of the best guardians of the forests, and conservation programs for Rafflesia can be more successful if the local communities are engaged.
Check out more news and information on Endangered Species in Science Times.
