Death flower’s dying - 23rd October 2023

Scientists are making an effort to save the Rafflesia flower from extinction. Due to heavy deforestation in Southeast Asia, the giant flower, which is also called stinking corpse lily, is quickly disappearing.

The national flower of Indonesia is largely unknown to western scientists. However, it’s been used for many years by indigenous groups in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines in traditional medicine and tonics. The flower mimics the scent of dead bodies to attract flies.

Rafflesia is known to be resistant to growing on farms which makes it difficult to cultivate them outside of their natural habitat. This is problematic because Southeast Asian forests are being deforested the fastest on the planet.

Dr Chris Thorogood’s the author of Plants, People, Planet journal. He said, "We urgently need a joined-up cross-regional approach to save some of the world’s most remarkable flowers."

Thorogood suggested that research on the corpse flower begin as soon as possible. He hopes we’ll be able to understand the flower so that we can find a way to grow them outside of their natural habitat.

Dr Thorogood mentioned that "Indigenous peoples — who represent only five percent of the globe's human population — are the stewards of 80 percent of the Earth's biodiversity."

He reminded us that indigenous people play an important role in helping us save the flower. As such, he’s suggested that western scientists work together with indigenous communities to protect Rafflesia.