RAFFLESIACEAE
Morphological description
Parasitic, leafless, echlorophyllose herbs.
Leaves
Leaves absent.
Inflorescence
Flowers solitary, usually large, perianth tubular, ovary inferior.
Flowers
Flowers single, actinomorphic with a single perianth; ovary 1-locular with parietal placentas.
Fruit
Fruit a berry with numerous minute seeds.
Seed
Seeds minute.
Different from: Balanophoraceae: rhizomatous plants, flowers tiny in spikes or heads, fruit few-seeded.
Distribution: The family worldwide, mainly tropical. In Malesia 3 genera, including Rafflesia (West Malesia), parasitic on Tetrastigma (Vitaceae), mostly in lowland rain forest.
Notes: Flower buds of Rafflesia are collected for their presumed medicinal properties. Flies play a role in pollination and squirrels in dispersal, but much still has to be learned about the ecology of the Rafflesiaceae.
Literature: W. Meijer, Fl. Males. I, 13 (1997) 1- 42.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Rafflesiaceae 8, 24, 92 - Mitrastemma 7, 11 - Rafflesia 7, 11 - Rhizanthes 7, 11.
Illustrations: Fig. 153. Rhizanthes lowii (Becc.) Harms (Rafflesiaceae). Flowerbuds and open flower on stem or woody root of Tetrastigma. The mature bud left shows the cupula at base, the bracts, and the 16-valvate perigone lobes. The open flower shows the perigone and the narrow bayonets which in the bud were directed downwards and partly hidden in an apical cavity of the column. From drawing by Janis Atlee, reproduced in Flora Malesiana I, 13 (1997) 38, fig. 10a.
Image in PhytoImages for Rafflesiaceae