Considered as a New Species, White Rafflesia Blooms at Bengkulu
2 July 2018 11:46 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Bengkulu - A white Rafflesia bloomed at a forest area in Seluma district, Bengkulu.
“The color is pale, it’s similar to white rather than pink,” said Raffles Yolanda, a resident of Bunut Tinggi village, witnessing the unique flower as reported by Antara, Monday, June 2.
Raffles with his two friends looked for the flower after he got information from the local people. The flower was found after he downed the river for 100 meters between Pagar village and Napal Melintang village, Ulu Talo district.
According to Raffles, the flower was full with white pale color. Its diameter was expected to 60 centimeters.
Rafflesia species expert from Bengkulu University, Agus Susatya, said the white flower might be a new species. “There is no albino Rafflesia before or the color changes from its original color,” he noted.
The common color of Rafflesia flower, according to the lecturer of forestry major, was red and red-orange. Hence, he planned to do closer examine and study the flower to identify its species.
Five Rafflesia flowers had been found in Bengkulu forest area thus far, including Rafflesia Arnoldii, Rafflesia Bengkuluensis, Rafflesia Gadutensis, Rafflesia Hasselti, and the newly-found species Rafflesia Kemumu.
ANTARA