Saturday, November 12, 2005

THE RAFFLESIA HAS LANDED

A new specie of Rafflesia has been discovered in Compostela Valley in Mindanao. Aside from the excitement this flower is creating among botanists, it also (in a way) speaks well of the status of our remaining forests.

If confirmed, it will be named Rafflesia magnifica owing to its large diameter, perhaps the largest among the many species known to exist today.

More of the story here.

Here are some of the photos of Rafflesia species mentioned in the article. Special thanks to Dan Nickrent of the Department of Plant Biology, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.


R. manillana


R. speciosa

Sorry, no photos of R. schadenbergiana as it may already be extinct.


The lifecyle of a Rafflesia. Diagram courtesy of www.haribon.org.ph

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