Rafflesia (the legendary piranha flower)
[1]? Rafflesia is a succulent parasitic herb that originates from the tropical rainforests of Malaysia, Indonesia, Java, and Sumatra. It is the largest flower in the world and is known as the "King of Flowers in the World".
Chinese name
Rafflesia
Alternate names
Granda, carrion flower, rafflesia
Binary nomenclature
Rafflesia arnoldii
Kingdom
Plant kingdom
Phylum
Angiosperm
Class
Dicotyledonous plants
Order
Gramaceae
Family
Daphthaceae
Genus
Hydronium
Species
Hydronaceae
Distribution area
p>Malaysia, Indonesia's Java, Sumatra and other tropical rainforests
Reputation
World's King of Flowers
1 Basic information editor
Rafflesia is dioecious, endosperm. In order to prevent the world's largest flower from becoming extinct,?
Combined album (2 photos)
The 1997 Sabah Wildlife Conservation Act listed Rafflesia as a protected plant. In 1981, the Singapore Botanic Gardens began an introduction trial, artificially sowing Rafflesia seeds into the bark of rock climbing vines.
2 Name origin editor
The name of Rafflesia is taken from Sir Stamford Raffles during the British colonial period. In 1818, Sir Stamford Raffles and his friend Dr. James Arnold discovered the largest Rafflesia variety in Manna, with a flower diameter of 40cm and a weight of 7kg, and named it Rafflesia arnoldii. The largest Rafflesia found today has a corolla diameter of 1.4m, a weight of 10kg, and a petal thickness of 5cm.
3 Structure Edit
Rafflesia is a fleshy parasitic herb and not
a true "piranha". They have extremely short main axes, no leaves and underground stems, and the nutrient-absorbing organs degenerate into mycelium-like shapes and invade the host's tissues. Therefore, the entire flower is all it has, and almost all the nutrients absorbed from the host are supplied to the growth of the flower. The diameter can reach 3 feet, or 0.9144m, and the highest record can reach 1.4m. The base of Rafflesia is developed from the xylem of the host, and is shaped like a wide-mouthed jar.
4 Rafflesia dioecious editor
The female flower is composed of 8-6-4 connate carpels, with the ovary lower and half lower
Flowers
or upper position, 1 chamber or placenta extends inward to the near middle, forming many irregular cavities, with many ovules, born on the parietal placenta, with 1 to 2 layers of integument; style 1 or none , stigma discoid, capitate or multi-lobed. There are up to 5 male flowers in number, no filaments, 1 to 3 rows of rings on the stamens, 2-chambered anthers with longitudinal or apical openings, the anther chambers sometimes merge together, the pollen is often sticky, single or in tetrads. The fruit is a berry with tiny seeds, a hard seed coat and endosperm inside. The plants often parasitize on the roots or lower climbing stems of the climbing stems of Vitaceae under the leaf litter in tropical rainforests. However, some details of their parasitic dependence have not yet been explained clearly.
5 Growth and Reproduction Editor
Although the flowers of Rafflesia are large, its seeds are so tiny that they are almost difficult to distinguish with the naked eye. The seeds are sticky and when animals accidentally step on them, they are carried away to reproduce elsewhere. Of course, there is still considerable controversy in the scientific community about how Rafflesia seeds are spread. Some scholars believe: "The seeds are reproduced by deer, wild boars, etc. stepping into plants with damaged stems."
Edit 6 Blooming and Withering
According to local residents, May to October every year is the main growing season for Rafflesia.
It is not clear how the seeds germinate. It is only known that the filamentous buds of the seeds can gradually spread within the stem bark without harming the host. After a year and a half, the seeds have absorbed enough energy, expanded in size, penetrated the seed coat, and sprouted into buds of about 6mm. After several months of slow growth, the buds gradually grow from the size of a ping pong ball to the size of a cabbage. After a month, the buds will slowly open, and it takes two days and two nights to fully bloom. The Rafflesia flower in full bloom is gorgeous and colorful. The entire corolla is bright red with a few white spots on it. The corolla is 50 to 90cm tall. The five juicy petals are thick and tough. Each petal is about 5cm thick and 30cm wide. The petals have the highest total weight. It can reach as much as 25 pounds, which is more than 10 kilograms. There is a large honey trough with a round mouth in the center of the flower. Its volume is quite large and can hold 6 to 7 quarts of water, or 5 to 7 kilograms.
Root details
Rafflesia only blooms one flower in its life, and the flowering period is only 4 days. The flower buds are fragrant in the early stages of blooming, and then emit a pungent rancid smell, hence the synonym of Corpse Flower. The stench emitted by pollen attracts flies and other scavengers to pollinate it. Squirrels are also very interested in pollen and often lick from one anther to another. On the fourth day of the flowering period, the petals of Rafflesia gradually turn black and wither, turning into a puddle of sticky black matter within a few weeks. The successfully pollinated female flower will gradually form a semi-rotted fruit over the next seven months. The stunning flowers bear rotting fruit, a wonder of the botanical world. The fruit is spherical, about 15cm in diameter, with a lignified, brown epidermis. The seed coat is filled with milky white, lipid-rich pulp and thousands of reddish-brown miniature seeds.
7 Geographical Distribution Editor
Rafflesia
Rafflesia is produced in tropical rainforests such as Malaysia, Java, and Sumatra in Indonesia. It is currently the largest flower in the world. , known as the "King of Flowers in the World". Rafflesia is called Bungapatma locally, which means "a flower as big and gorgeous as a lotus leaf".
8 Main Category Editor
There are 24 confirmed species of Rafflesia, but 4 species are yet to be confirmed.
9 Species Classification Editor
Regarding the species classification of Rafflesia (also known as "Rafflesia"), Malaysian scholars claimed that they may have discovered the species of the genus Rafflesia. New species. Plants in this genus are known for their large, foul-smelling flowers. Forestry officials in the eastern Malaysian province of Terengganu say they have discovered a special plant of the genus Daphne. Its petals resemble one known species, while the internal shape of the flower resembles another species. Forestry official Roslee Jamaludin believes that this may be a new species or a variant, or it may be a variant. Everyone is excited about this discovery. After checking the known plants of the genus Daphne, no species has been found to have the same characteristics. Of course, its characteristics need to be studied more carefully before it is determined that this is a new species. observation.
Gamaluddin said that the specific location where this large flower was found cannot be disclosed to the public. When people found this large flower, it was climbing on a tall tree.
According to reports, this plant is famous for its huge flowers and foul smell. Although rare, it has been found in several countries in Southeast Asia. Its flowers are huge, reaching up to 1 meter in length and weighing up to 10 kilograms, making them one of the largest flowers in the world.
Harvard botanist Charles Davis and colleagues reported in the online version of Science that they used the latest DNA molecular marker technology to compare G. grandiflora with a range of plants. After analysis, it was found that it should belong to the Euphorbiaceae family in the plant family tree.
Davis said that this large flowering plant that lives in the understory of tropical rainforests in Southeast Asia is usually parasitic on grapevine plants. The giant flowers it blooms are blood red and emit a putrid smell. This smell can be used to attract certain types of flies to pollinate it.
Botanists generally classify plants with similar characteristics into the same family, but the flowers of Grandiflora are surprisingly large, which is rare among flowering plants. In addition, it is a parasitic plant and does not have the typical structures of plants such as leaves and stems. Due to its parasitism, it has absorbed many genetic characteristics of grapevine plants, so scientists have never known which family it belongs to. [2] New research believes that the flower of the flower should belong to the Euphorbiaceae family, which surprised them because the flowers of the Euphorbiaceae plants are only a few percent of the size of the flower of the flower. The Irish bell flower, poinsettia, and castor all belong to the family of Euphorbiaceae. It is very puzzling that the flowers of the family Trichodermaceae are of the same type despite being so different in size. The next step is for them to further study the giant flower, such as analyzing why its flowers are so big and how they evolved.
10 Endangered and Conservation Editor
Rafflesia is only distributed in tropical rainforests such as Java and Sumatra in Malaysia and Indonesia. Due to human logging and cultivation, Due to the impact of activities such as gardening, large areas of local rainforest are declining rapidly. The lack of a suitable environment has caused the Rafflesia flower to decrease year by year. In addition, local legend has it that Rafflesia flower has medicinal value and has the effect of tonifying the kidneys and aphrodisiacs. The extract prepared from the flower bud extract is a good medicine for women during childbirth. Indiscriminate harvesting by local people has put Rafflesia in serious danger of extinction. The Indonesian government is also organizing botanists to search for and protect this plant. In 1984, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources listed Rafflesia as "the most seriously threatened endangered plant in the world", calling the world's public attention and efforts to protect this largest and most unique flower in the world.
Boswellia
Boswellia is a deciduous tree that grows naturally in the wilderness along the coasts of South Arabia, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden. Frankincense is the birthday flower for December 24th. Frankincense extracted from frankincense wood emits fragrance when burned and has an insect-repelling effect. It has been loved by people since ancient times, and frankincense was also included among the gifts of the Three Saints celebrating the birth of Christ.
Chinese name
Frankincense
Growth
South Arabia, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden
Alias
Mixiang tree
High
4～5m
Efficacy
Regulating Qi, activating blood circulation and relieving pain
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It is mainly used to treat qi and blood stagnation and heart and stomach pain
1 Origin editor
It is named Wanxiang. As early as Zheng He's voyage to the West, Wanxiang had been lucky enough to be exported, and the place where the ship was shipped was named Hong Kong. Later, Emperor Kangxi despised foreigners and banned all sea borders. Later Emperor Qianlong wrote to the King of England, arrogantly declaring: When ruling this vast world, I only consider one goal, which is to maintain a perfect rule and do not need your country at all. Products, of course, Chinese goods do not need to be shipped to foreign countries. As a result, Wanxiang declined and Hong Kong became lonely. Frankincense, belonging to the olive family, is a flower dedicated to the devout holy sisters Drasella and Emiliana who died in the 6th century AD.
2 Introduction Editor
It is also known as the honey-scented tree. The sap is extracted and deposited to form the spice name agarwood. Agarwood is most produced in Dongguan, Guangdong. Frankincense has paper-like bark and is a deciduous tree that grows naturally in the wilderness along the coasts of South Arabia, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden. Frankincense extracted from frankincense wood emits aroma when burned. It has the effect of repelling insects and has been cherished by people since ancient times. It was also included among the gifts of the Three Wise Men who celebrated the birth of Christ. Therefore, its flower language is - gift.
The bark of frankincense is as thin and brittle as paper, and inside the bark is its juice. When the resin drips from the frankincense tree, it is like lotion. Frankincense is produced in frankincense. A small opening is gently cut into the bark of the tree, and milky sap will flow out. When the sap comes in contact with the air, it will harden, and then turn into yellow and reddish translucent crystals.
3 Features Editor
A dwarf tree in the olive family, 4 to 5m high, rarely up to 6m. The trunk is thick, the bark is smooth, light brown and yellow, paper-like, the bark of thick branches is scaly and gradually peels off, and the young branches are cylindrical.
The leaves are alternate, densely forming leaf clusters, or sparse in the upper part, odd-numbered pinnate compound leaves, 15-25cm long, petioles covered with white hairs, 7-9 pairs of leaflets, opposite, sessile, the smallest one at the base, gradually larger upwards. The leaflets are long ovate, 3.5cm long, the apex is 7.5cm long, 1.5cm wide, the apex is blunt, usually slightly wavy, the base is round, nearly heart-shaped or truncate, and the edges have irregular crescents, or The teeth are inconspicuously cracked and have almost complete edges. Both sides are covered with white hair or there is no hair on the upper side and sparse hair on the lower side. The flowers are small, arranged in sparse racemes, and the inflorescences are shorter than the leaves; the bracts are oval, with a pointed apex; the calyx is cup-shaped, with 5 lobes at the apex, and the lobes are triangular-ovate; the petals are 5, light yellow, and alternate with the sepals. Oval, about twice as long as the sepals, with an acute apex; 10 stamens, inserted on the outside of the flower disk, orange anthers, short filaments, slightly longer than the flower disk; the flower disk is large, plump, disc-shaped, rose red, with 5~ 10. Obtuse and slightly crenate; ovary superior, attached to the receptacle, surrounded by the flower disk below the middle part, with 3 to 4 chambers, each chamber with 2 pendulous ovules, style thick, slightly beyond the stamens; stigma capitate, slightly three-dimensional crack. The fruit is small, about 1cm long, obovate, with three edges and a blunt head. There is a receptacle at the base, and the flower disc and filaments remain. The peel is smooth, fleshy, plump, and folded into 3 to 4 valves. There is 1 seed in each chamber. Flowering period is April.
4 Birthday Flower Editor
Birthday Flower: Frankincense
The flower of the devout holy sisters, Drasella and Emiliana in the 6th century AD. Since ancient times, Christianity has had the habit of connecting saints with specific flowers. This is due to the fact that when the church commemorates the saints, they often decorate the altar with blooming flowers! In medieval Catholic monasteries, various flowers were planted like a garden center. Over time, the church combined the 366-day saints with different flowers to form the so-called floral calendar. At that time, most of the monasteries were located in southern Europe, which had a Mediterranean climate, which was very suitable for growing flowers and plants.
5 Medicinal Editor
Source: It is the oil gum resin of the olive plant Boswellia carterii Birdw. and several species of the same genus.
Efficacy: Regulating Qi, activating blood circulation, relieving pain, and chasing poison.
Indications: Treat qi and blood stagnation, pain in the heart and stomach, carbuncle swelling, bruises, dysmenorrhea, postpartum blood stasis and stinging pain.
"Bielu": "Cure Feng Shui poisonous swelling and remove bad odor." "Cure wind addiction? Itching poison."
"Compendium of Materia Medica": "Cure deafness, stroke and muteness. , women’s blood energy, can relieve wind and cold, stop large intestine leakage, treat various sores and relieve internal pain. "
"Rihuazi Materia Medica": "It can relieve cholera and relieve pain in the heart and abdomen. "Grow flesh."
"Zheng Lei Materia Medica": "Cure insomnia"
"Pearl Bag": "Relieve the pain of various meridians." "Compendium": "Eliminates the poisons of carbuncles, protects the heart, activates blood circulation and relieves pain, stretches muscles, and treats women with dystocia and fractures."
"Compendium of Materia Medica": "Cure madness and stop dysentery." "
"Yao Yao Di Dose": "For patients with red and white diarrhea and abdominal pain, adding frankincense has no effect."
6 Flower Language Editor
Flower Language: Gift
Frankincense extracted from frankincense wood, when burned, will emit fragrance and has the effect of repelling insects. It has been cherished by people since ancient times. Among the gifts given by the three wise men to celebrate the birth of Christ, frankincense was also included, so its flower language is "gift". Anyone born with the blessing of this flower is the best gift to his lover, because he is beautiful, sexy, gentle and considerate, but his disadvantage is that he is too jealous. But jealousy is also a sign of love.
7 Legend Editor
Among the many mysterious islands in Greece, there is an island called Chios. Legend has it that the great ancient poet Homer was born on this island , the beautiful island is covered with large tracts of frankincense trees, and precious frankincense can be extracted from the trees. The locals call it - the tears of God. Whenever the memorial ceremony on the island begins,
People Frankincense is always burned because they believe that the smoke of frankincense can carry their prayers to God and bring happiness to them in the coming year.
In ancient times, people used frankincense to make chewing gum to clean their mouths. In modern times, people have used frankincense to make various foods and cosmetics.