Rafflesiaceae

▪ plant family

      plant family in the Malpighiales order, notable for being strictly parasitic upon the roots or stems of other plants and for the remarkable growth forms exhibited as adaptations to this mode of nutrition. The vegetative organs of most are so reduced and modified that the plant body exists only as a network of threadlike cellular strands living almost wholly within the tissues of the host plant. There are no green photosynthetic tissues, leaves, roots, or stems in the generally accepted sense, although vestiges of leaves exist in some species as scales.

      The flowers are well developed, however, and range in size from minute to extremely large. The monster flower (Rafflesia arnoldii), with the largest known flower, is parasitic upon the roots of Tetrastigma species, large vines of the grape family (Vitaceae) found in the forested mountains of Malaysia. Its fully developed flower appears above ground as a thick, fleshy, five-lobed structure weighing up to 11 kg (24 pounds) and measuring almost one metre (about one yard) across. It remains open five to seven days, emitting a fetid odour that attracts carrion-feeding flies, which are believed to be the pollinating agents. The flower's colour is reddish or purplish brown, sometimes in a mottled pattern, with the sex organs in a central cup. The fruit is a berry containing sticky seeds thought to be disseminated by fruit-eating rodents.

      The family Rafflesiaceae includes the following genera, mostly in the Old World subtropics: Pilostyles (22 species), Bdallophytum (4 species), Apodanthes (5 species), Rafflesia (12 species), Cytinus (6 species), Rhizanthes (1 or 2 species), and Sapria (1 or 2 species).

      In contrast to the giant flower of Rafflesia is Pilostyles thurberi of southwestern North American deserts. A parasite on the stems of Dalea species and other pea family (Fabaceae) shrubs, its length outside the host plant is only 5 or 6 mm (about 0.25 inch).

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