The Advantages of the Rafflesia

Rafflesia

• Rafflesia is an endophytic, parasitic fungus, which means that it grows inside another plant and takes nutrition from its host plant. In the absence of leaves, stems and roots, rafflesia’s fungal filaments infiltrate living tissues of the tetrastigma vine, a grape family relative. These unseen filaments receive nourishment from the host vine until an occasional bud protrudes from the vine’s bark. This bud develops into the large, foul-smelling flower, which is the only visible indicator of the presence of rafflesia.

Advantages to Survival

• Although the odor of rotting meat offends human sensibilities, it can be very attractive to some pollinators. Wayne Armstrong, professor of biology and botany at Palomar College, reports that a female rafflesia flower can produce up to 4 million seeds after successful pollination. Enormous flowers with enormous smell give rafflesia an advantage in attracting its pollinators – carrion beetles and flies. Viable seeds have very slim odds of finding a receptive landing place, for example, a damp crack or tear in the tetrastigma vine. If a seed germinates, it relies on its home-team advantage of protection and nourishment from the enveloping vine.

Advantages to Host Plants

• Although endophytes parasitize their host plants, it is to their benefit to provide some measure of value to them. This quasi-symbiotic relationship helps ensure the survival of the host, which, in turn, ensures survival of the parasitic organism. Research documented by Mycosphere Online’s "Journal of Fungal Biology" indicates that chemical compounds produced by endophytes boost these survival rates. In particular, Rafflesia cantleyi’s anti-microbial activity provided an internal plant medicine that gave a health advantage to its host.

Advantages to People

• Ongoing research reveals that the same mechanism whereby rafflesia provides anti-microbial protection to its host plant may also provide similar protection to people. Rafflesia’s native rainforest habitat is in Borneo, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Indigenous people use rafflesia medicinally as a fever reducer and a post-childbirth antibiotic. Researchers in Mycosphere Online’s "Journal of Fungal Biology" cite antiobiotic and anti-cancer compounds in the list of chemicals produced by endophytes. Anti-microbial action from rafflesia was proved effective against bacteria that cause food poisoning (Bacillus cereus) and staph infections (Staphylococcus aureus).