Bullet Points:
- Illegal Collectors: 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.
- High Mortality Level: The high mortality level of the flower buds is another factor that makes Rafflesia such a rare occurence. In fact, only a small percentage of the flowers are going to bloom and they only last for few days.
- Habitat Specialisation: Rafflesia is a parasitic plant and it only can successfully parasite some particular species. This makes its existence even more difficult because they not only need to have a specific habitat specialisation but a double one. By far, forest destruction is the most significant threat to the existence of the Rafflesia. The rainforest area in SE Asia is threatened as well, thus the natural habitat of the plant is also diminishing.
Propagation and conservation of Rafflesia flower....
- The propagation of Rafflesia spp. is considered to be important for future development of ornamental and other applications. Thus far, the only successful propagation technique has been grafting.
- This mini-review succinctly emphasizes what is known about Rafflesia species. Members of the genus Rafflesia (Rafflesiaceae), which are holoparasitic plants known to grow on a host vine, Tetrastigma sp., are widely spread from the Malayan Peninsula to various islands throughout Indonesia.
- To maintain a balance between its ethnomedicinal and ornamental use, and conservation, Rafflesia flower must be artificially cultivated to prevent overexploitation.
- Seeds harvested from fertile fruit may serve as a possible method to propagate Rafflesia spp. This paper provides a brief synthesis on what is known about research related to Rafflesia spp
