The Red-White Rafflesia

The patrol team from Bukit Rimbang-Baling Wildlife Conservation, in Kampar district, Riau Province, aghast. They found five of the rarest Rafflesia flowers, where the flowers bloom in perfect condition with a diameter of about 50 centimeters. Then another one will bloom, 20-25 centimeters in diameter, the another flower still-sized cauliflower, and two other flowers are as big as a tennis ball.

The red-white Rafflesia, rare flowers found that bloom in Bukit Rimbang-Baling Wildlife Conservation. (Picture from: http://klik77.blogspot.com/)

"We seemed to dream and could not believe when found them," said Nursyamsu, a member of the patrol team that discovered the red-white Rafflesia flowers. He was happy because rarely the Rafflesia found in perfect bloom conditions. The five flowers found at the forest in 448 meters from above sea level altitude.

Indeed, the emergence of this parasitic plant is the first time in the national park of the Sumatran tiger conservation. The red-white Rafflesia (Rafflesia hasseltii) is one of rare plant species. Now its status is precarious, because included in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Indonesian government also protects the plants through Government Regulation (Peraturan Pemerintah) No. 7, 1999.

The size comparison between the red-white Rafflesia flowers with the human body. (Picture from: http://klik77.blogspot.com/)

The locals call the flower "cendawan muka rimau or tiger face fungus". At the time of bloom, this flowers can reach 30-50 centimeters of diameter, with the perigone of 11-13 cm, and wide of 15-17 cm. The flower's color is red-brown with white plates are relatively large with irregular shape. Because the mix of colors, then it got called the red-white Rafflesia flower.

This flower is a parasite plant species with Tetrastigma leucostaphyllum host plants. The plants regional distribution includes Malaysia Peninsula Strait, Sarawak and Sumatra. In Sumatra, the flowers are scattered and very limited, only in the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park, Sanglap, Jambi Province, Kerinci Seblat National Park, and Riau Province.

Bukit Rimbang-Baling Wildlife Conservation known as the natural habitat of Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae) and several species of jungle cats. In 2012, a camera trap installed by WWF Indonesia monitoring team recorded five of the seven species of jungle cat in the same location as the discovery of the red-white Rafflesia.

WWF Indonesia said the red-white Rafflesia discoveries prove that the biodiversity condition in Bukit Rimbang-Baling Wildlife Conservation still in good condition. But unfortunately, the region is also increasingly threatened by encroachment and illegal logging activities. *** [EKA | MAHARDIKA SATRIA HADI | KORAN TEMPO 4183]

There are 17 of the Rafflesia species in Indonesia

The discovery of the red-white Rafflesia (Rafflesia hasseltii) in the Bukit Rimbang-Baling Wildlife Conservation in Riau Province further confirms the high diversity of the Rafflesia flower in Indonesia. Indonesian Institute of Sciences (Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia/LIPI), as quoted from Bogor Botanic Gardens site that noting there are at least 17 species of the Rafflesia in Indonesia.

All types of the Rafflesia only grows in Southeast Asia, particularly in Malaysia Peninsular, Borneo, Sumatra, Thailand, and Philippines. There is a mention of the total 29 species (see the complete list of the Rafflesia flowers).

Refflesia arnoldii, the biggest Rafflesia flower. (Picture from: http://www.amazingofindonesia.com/)

R. arnoldii is the most popular type of the Rafflesia. The Sumatra native flowers plants has a diameter of up to 1 meter, and it's the biggest than any other of the Rafflesia.

Rafflesia patma was the first Rafflesia discovered by Auguste Deschamps (French nationality naturalist) who found R. patma in 1797. But newly in 1825, this species described by Blume, Agriculture Deputy Director of Bogor Botanical Gardens in 1822-1826.

The Rafflesia including rare plants. In addition to its habitat began to decrease, largely due to the scarcity the Rafflesia biological properties of the parasite. All types of the Rafflesia dependent on its host tree, Tetrastigma, a climbing plant type of the wine-family (Vitaceae).

Although Tetrastigma are found in Indonesia tropical forests, not all of it can be covered by the Rafflesia. This parasitic plant grows on a very specific host interaction that was also very specific. That's why, until now the existence of the Rafflesia generally only be seen in their natural habitat. Efforts to foster the Rafflesia flower outside their habitat have been recorded since the late 1800s in the Bogor Botanical Gardens. One of the successes recorded which R. patma flowered in 1852 was H. Loudon collection. R. arnoldii, which is a collection of Johannes Teijsmann and Simon Binnendijk, return to bloom on February 9, 1857.

Rafflesia patma was bloom at Pananjung-Pangandaran Wildlife Conservation. (Picture from: http://reijunwaka.blogspot.com/)

Since 2004, Center for Plant Conservation of Bogor Botanical Gardens-LIPI that has been doing intensive research to grow the Rafflesia outside their natural habitat. The effort was successful when three rate R. patma bloom consecutive June 3, June 18 and July 20, 2010. The flowers that bloom was female, male, and female. R. patma re-bloom in the Bogor Botanical Gardens in November 2012. In that time there are two flowers that bloomed almost simultaneously. *** [EKA | BOGOR BOTANICAL GARDENS | MAHARDIKA SATRIA HADI | KORAN TEMPO 4183]

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