Discovery of a Rafflesia at Rimba !

We are lucky to welcome Frantz Limier, botanist, who has done his thesis with the famous botanist Francis Hallé.

Frantz helps us to list all the plant species present on our site. During a getaway in the forest, we were lucky to find a Rafflesia, a rare flower. Plants of the genus Rafflesia parasitize Tetrastigma lianas in tropical regions. They do not have stems, leaves or roots, but actinomorphic flowers with five petals. The flowers of the genus Rafflesia are the largest flowers in the world (20cm to 1m in diameter).

The 2 flowers we found parasitize the same liana and are still in button. As long as they are not open, we will not be able to define the species. The transition of the button to the flower can take several months… so, suspense !