Friday, November 17, 2017

[Botany • 2017] Rafflesia kemumu • A New Species (Rafflesiaceae) from Northern Bengkulu, Sumatra, Indonesia


Rafflesia kemumu  Susatya, Hidayati & Riki


Abstract

Rafflesia kemumu is a new species described from Northern Bengkulu in Sumatra, Indonesia. The species resembles R. gadutensis in size of the open flower, but differs from it with regard to the color and wart ornamentation on the upper surface of the perigone lobes, color and presence/absence of warts on the upper surface of the diaphragm, blots pattern on the two concentric rings of windows near the diaphragm opening, types and distribution of ramenta, number and shapes of processes, and number of anthers. The new species has orange to dark orange perigone lobes with warts of two sizes, in which smaller warts are often merged, and surround larger ones, and 23 slender, conical processes with rounded apex, arranged in two concentric rings (15 and 7 processes each) and a single process in the center of the disc. Rafflesia kemumu has no warts at its upper surface of diaphragm, simple and compound toadstool ramenta on its upper perigone tube and the lower part of the lower surface of its diaphragm and broccoli-like ramenta distributed from the base to the upper part of the perigone tube.

Keywords: Bengkulu, processes, Rafflesia, ramenta, Sumatra, Eudicots

The color of perigone lobes and their wart patterns on the first day of flowering for Rafflesia kemumu.

Photo by S. Riki. 



Rafflesia kemumu Susatya, Hidayati & Riki, spec. nov.

Differs from a related species R. gadutensis by the absence of warts on the upper surface of the diaphragm, the pattern and arrangement of warts of windows near the diaphragm opening, and the presence of compound toadstool ramenta on the upper part of the perigone tube. 

Etymology:— The specific epithet is named after a village near the location where the holotype specimen was collected, Kemumu. The people of Kemumu rely on the continuity of a water supply from the Palak Siring watershed for their rice fields.


Agus Susatyaม Siti Nur Hidayati and Septian Riki. 2017. Rafflesia kemumu (Rafflesiaceae), A New Species from Northern Bengkulu, Sumatra, Indonesia. Phytotaxa. 326(3); 211–220. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.326.3.5  

Rafflesia kemumu (Rafflesiaceae), e new species from Northern Bengkulu, Sumatra, Indonesia
 Ditjen Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam dan Ekosistem