Rafflesia leonardi, commonly known as the corpse flower (Rosner, 2013), is a parasitic flowering plant and member of the family Rafflesiaceae (Barcelona, Pelser, Balete, & Co, 2009: 77).The flower can grow to be 25.5–34 cm in diameter and is characterized by reddish orange petals, which are speckled by elliptical warts (Barcelona, Pelser, Balete, & Co, 2009: 86).The flower also contains a round, central aperture or opening that can be 1.2–1.5 cm in diameter and holds a circular piece of tissue known as a disk, which may have up to ten processes, pointed structures that are about 0.5 cm tall (Barcelona, Pelser, Balete, & Co, 2009: 86).Due to misprints, R. leonardi may also be documented as R. leonardii, which is incorrectly spelled (Barcelona, Pelser, Balete, & Co, 2009: 77).
Being a parasitic plant, R. leonardi does not contain chlorophyll or any structures other than those of its flowers and depends entirely on its host plant, Tetrastigma cf. loheri, for minerals and nutrients (Barcelona, Pelser, Balete, & Co, 2009: 77; Barcelona, Pelser, Cabutaje, & Bartolome, 2008: 225).It grows within the stems and roots of the host and produces flowers that emerge and bloom on the host’s aerial portions and exposed roots (Barcelona, Pelser, Balete, & Co, 2009: 77; Barcelona, Pelser, Cabutaje, & Bartolome, 2008: 225).Though most flowers are located on the roots, several are found on the stem and can be up to 10 cm above the ground (Barcelona, Pelser, Cabutaje, & Bartolome, 2008: 227).Additionally, studies have suggested that R. leonardi may be capable of extracting not only carbohydrates and minerals from its host but also genetic information (Rosner, 2013).This discovery was the first to provide convincing evidence that multicellular organisms were capable of exchanging genes in a process known as horizontal gene transfer, which was previously known to occur only in certain bacteria and other microorganisms (Rosner, 2013).
Specifically, R. leonardi is a holoparasite or obligate parasite, which means that it is completely reliant on its host plant when it comes to reproduction (Barcelona, Pelser, Balete, & Co, 2009: 90).A healthy host is needed to provide R. leonardi with the all the materials and resources required to reproduce, and without a host, the parasite is absolutely incapable of producing offspring and continuing its life cycle (Barcelona, Pelser, Balete, & Co, 2009: 90-91).
Little information is known of the infection process or seed dispersal methods of R. leonardi, and the exact distances that its seeds and pollen must travel are unknown (Barcelona, Pelser, Balete, & Co, 2009: 77 & 90).However, much is known of the flower’s means of pollination.R. leonardi has a rancid odor, which is similar to that of rotting flesh (Rosner, 2013).Combined with the flower’s red-like color, this smell makes the plant capable of mimicking a dead animal (Rosner, 2013).This mimicry attracts flies that land on the flower and spread its pollen, making them the main pollinators of R. leonardi (Barcelona, Pelser, Balete, & Co, 2009: 77).Furthermore, Rafflesia flowers are perennial and are known to have long life spans, many lasting for five to six years (Sofiyanti & Yen, 2012: 109).
R. leonardi is typically found at low elevations, ranging 270–300 m above sea level, within forests of dipterocarp trees, towering trees commonly found in Southeast Asia from which wood and resin are acquired for export (Barcelona, Pelser, Cabutaje, & Bartolome, 2008: 224).However, these forests suffer from excessive logging, and their resources are often exhausted (Barcelona, Pelser, Cabutaje, & Bartolome, 2008: 224).Often R. leonardi will be located near trees whose roots are uncovered and project out of the ground (Barcelona, Pelser, Cabutaje, & Bartolome, 2008: 225).It is believed that these roots are used to physically support the growth of the flower (Barcelona, Pelser, Cabutaje, & Bartolome, 2008: 225).The plant is known to grow near rivers and streams, and is found in rocky soils (Barcelona, Pelser, Cabutaje, & Bartolome, 2008: 225).
Native to the northern areas of the Philippine Islands, R. leonardi is distributed across regions of the island of Luzon, such as the Cagayan Province and specifically in the Cagayan cities of Gattaran and Lallo (Barcelona, Pelser, Balete, & Co, 2009: 82).Kanapawan and Bolos Point, which is a barangay or small administrative district in Gattaran, are especially known for their R. leonardi flowers (Barcelona, Pelser, Balete, & Co, 2009: 82).The plant populations are usually far from one another and consist of only a few individuals, which is common for plants that are located in tropical rain forests (Barcelona, Pelser, Balete, & Co, 2009: 90).
Since its discovery in the northeastern region of Luzon in 2005 (Barcelona, Pelser, Cabutaje, & Bartolome, 2008: 223), R. leonardi has become a major tourism attraction, and nature trails and platforms have been built specifically for the viewing of its flowers (Barcelona, Pelser, Balete, & Co, 2009: 91).This tourism has educated the public and drastically increased awareness of the plant species (Barcelona, Pelser, Balete, & Co, 2009: 91).The Rafflesia flower has become so popular that it is now a symbol of environmental conservation (Barcelona, Pelser, Balete, & Co, 2009: 95), and in the Kanapawan area, the flower has been used as inspiration for costumes during celebrations and parades (Barcelona, Pelser, Balete, & Co, 2009: 95).
However, some of these tourist sites are poorly planned and are constructed before the Department of Environment and Natural Resources can create a strategy for conservation (Barcelona, Pelser, Balete, & Co, 2009: 91).To make matters worse, R. leonardi is located in already degraded forests that have been damaged by logging, mining and the expansion of farmland (Barcelona, Pelser, Balete, & Co, 2009: 90).These unprotected forests are some of the most threatened areas of the Philippines, and since limited information is known about R. leonardi, little has been done to create plans to protect the species (Barcelona, Pelser, Balete, & Co, 2009: 90).
In general, Rafflesia plants, including R. leonardi, are very rare, and there are several reasons as to why (Sofiyanti & Yen, 2012: 109).Little information is known about the co-evolution of the parasites and their host plants, but it is clear that Rafflesia heavily depend on the presence and wellbeing of those hosts (Sofiyanti & Yen, 2012: 109; Barcelona, Pelser, Balete, & Co, 2009: 90-91).Additionally, the majority of Rafflesia flowers are dioecious, either male or female, and the number of males is much greater than that of females, the ratio of male to female being 7:1 (Sofiyanti & Yen, 2012: 109).Males and females are also usually very far from one another (Rosner, 2013).Only 35.71% of females are able to reproduce, and bud mortality rates are very high, in some cases 100% (Sofiyanti & Yen, 2012: 109).The buds take over nine months to bloom, and many only last for a week (Rosner, 2013).The long life span of Rafflesia also creates a long period of time between one seed and the production of another (Sofiyanti & Yen, 2012: 109).
Rafflesia leonardi is a parasitic plant species of the genus Rafflesia. It is endemic to the Philippines.[3] Rafflesia banaoana is considered to be a synonym by some sources,[2] but is recognized as a separate species by others.[4] R. leonardi is the fourth Rafflesia species found in Luzon and the eighth from the Philippines.[5][6] It is called ngaratngat by the local Agta tribesmen.
The species was discovered in May 2008 by Cagayan Valley Partners in People Development (Cavapped), a multi-sectoral group of environmental scientists at remote sitio Kinapawan in the coastal town of Lal-Lo, Cagayan.
Rafflesia leonardi was named by Julie Barcelona and colleagues after the murdered Filipino botanist Dr. Leonardo Co of Conservation International.[1] See this citation for a review of Philippine Rafflesia.[7]
Rafflesia leonardi is a parasitic plant species of the genus Rafflesia. It is endemic to the Philippines. Rafflesia banaoana is considered to be a synonym by some sources, but is recognized as a separate species by others. R. leonardi is the fourth Rafflesia species found in Luzon and the eighth from the Philippines. It is called ngaratngat by the local Agta tribesmen.
The species was discovered in May 2008 by Cagayan Valley Partners in People Development (Cavapped), a multi-sectoral group of environmental scientists at remote sitio Kinapawan in the coastal town of Lal-Lo, Cagayan.
Rafflesia leonardi was named by Julie Barcelona and colleagues after the murdered Filipino botanist Dr. Leonardo Co of Conservation International. See this citation for a review of Philippine Rafflesia.
