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Rafflesiaceae Dumort.
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Distribution Map
Photographs
Rafflesia
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Blog, Rafflesia Research and
Monitoring Team, maintained by the late Kamarudin Mat Salleh, available
only to subscribers (HERE)
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Rhizanthes
Rhizanthes deceptor. The name alludes to Rhizanthes's
notoriety in deceiving flies and scientists alike!
- Flower. Ulu Gadut (nr. Padang,
Bt. Gambir), Sumatra. Photograph by W. Meijer.
- Female flower, ca. 12
hours after it started opening around midnight. Photo from Bänziger and Hansen (2000, Nat. Hist. Bull. Siam
Soc. 48: 117-143) used with permission.
Rhizanthes infanticida. Photographs
from Bänziger (1995, Nat. Hist. Bull. Siam Soc. 43: 337-365) and
Bänziger and Hansen (2000, Nat. Hist. Bull. Siam Soc. 48: 117-143)
used with permission. The specific name, which means "to kill young
children" alludes to the flower's pollination syndrome which leads to
the death of the pollinators' brood.
Rhizanthes lowii. Photograph from
Bänziger and Hansen (2000, Nat. Hist. Bull. Siam Soc. 48: 117-143)
used with permission.
- Male flower with very long ramenta pad. Photo by A. Kocyan.
Sapria
Sapria himalayana forma himalayana. Photographs
from Bänziger, Hansen and Kreetiyutanont (2000, Nat. Hist. Bull.
Siam Soc. 48: 213-219) used with permission.
- Opening flower. Thailand. Photo by Hans Bänziger.
- Comparison of the typical form of S. himalayana (left)
and forma albovinosa (right); both male flowers. The warts on
the flower on the left are yellow and the ones on the right are white.
Sapria himalayana forma albovinosa. Photographs from
Bänziger, Hansen and Kreetiyutanont (2000, Nat. Hist. Bull. Siam
Soc. 48: 213-219) used with permission.
Sapria poilanei. Photographs from Bänziger and Hansen
(1997, Nat. Hist. Bull. Siam Soc. 45: 149-170) used with permission.
Sapria ram. Photographs from Bänziger and Hansen (1997,
Nat. Hist. Bull. Siam Soc. 45: 149-170) used with permission.
Phylogeny
Certainly the most substantial rearrangement of parasitic plants since
Kuijt (1969) has involved plants classified in
“Rafflesiales” (or Rafflesiaceae s. lat.). It has
long been recognized to contain four different components:
• the “large-flowered clade” (including Rafflesia, Rhizanthes, and Sapria). Rafflesiaceae s. str.
• the “hypogynous” clade with only Mitrastema. Mitrastemonaceae.
• the “inflorescence clade” (composed of Cytinus and Bdallophyton). Cytinaceae.
• the “small-flowered clade” (composed of Apodanthes, Berlinianche, and Pilostyles). Apodanthaceae.
Although these four components were recognized, most treatments,
including Kuijt (1969) discussed them together. Indeed they do share
several morphological features. But if one were to split them, where
among photosynthetic angiosperms would the components be placed? This
question could only be solved using molecular methods.
Nickrent et al. (2004 BMC Evol. Biol. pdf HERE)
used both nuclear 18S rDNA and mitochondrial matR sequences to address
the relationships of above four clades. The gene trees showed
the polyphyletic nature of Rafflesiales. Rafflesiaceae s. str.
came out in Malpighiales, in agreement with Barkman (2004) and
later Davis et al. (2007). Cytinus
and Bdallophyton were
strongly supported as members of Malvales. A later study (Nickrent 2007
Taxon) showed that within the order, Cytinaceae is most closely related
to the New World family Muntingiaceae. Mitrastemonaceae emerged as a
member of Ericales, also in agreement with the Barkman study. The
nuclear and mitochondrial sequence data were ambiguous with regard to
the position of Apodanthaceae, with nuclear rDNA data supporting a
position with Malvales (contamination) and mitochondrial matR data with
Cucurbitales. Additional sequencing and analyses indicated
Apodanthaceae was part of Cucurbitales. This result was confirmed by
Filipowicz and Renner (2010).
SIUC / College of Science / Parasitic Plant
Connection / Rafflesiaceae
URL: http://www.parasiticplants.siu.edu/Rafflesiaceae/index.html
Last updated: 03-Apr-11 / dln
