June

Species of the Month

June 2025: the Corpse Flower

What are corpse flowers?

The name "corpse flower" can refer to two different things: the titan arum and the different species in the genus Rafflesia. According to the IUCN Red List, a 2018 study determined that there are less than 1,000 titan arums left in the wild, with numbers decreasing. The IUCN Red List also states: "The occurrence of [the titan arum] in its natural habitat is threatened due to land conversion, land degradation, illegal logging and sometimes the destruction of the plants because of a local myth that relates to the snake-like appearance of the petiole. Local people believe that the plants may harm humans, therefore they destroy the plants whenever they come across any." Both the titan arum and all 42 species of Rafflesia are endangered due to deforestation for logging and palm oil plantations/other habitat conversions, and poaching. Other factors such as the introduction of invasive species and climate change also prove to be obstacles for the plants' survival.

The titan arum and most species in the genus Rafflesia, while all separate species, are known for their rare, short-lived, and infamously smelly bloom/inflorescence*, earning them the name "corpse flower." The titan arum is native to the rainforests of Sumatra, an island in Indonesia. Rafflesia is found in Southeast Asia, including in the rainforests of Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia, and the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. The limited ranges of these plants make them more prone to the devastating consequences of deforestation and habitat loss.

*a group of blooms gathered together

Why are corpse flowers important?

Corpse flowers are important not only because they contribute to the ecosystems they are part of, but also because they have proved to be extremely useful to study in fields of science. For example, Rafflesia, which are parasitic plants, depend on their hosts for nutrients so much that they are unable to photosynthesize. They also lack leaves, roots, and stems, which made it hard to classify them genetically with other living plants. However, when studies were eventually able to test genetics, they showed that Rafflesia and their hosts actually exchange genetics, in a process known as Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT). According to an article from Harvard Magazine, studying the way Rafflesia use HGT could potentially help us fight off diseases. This and more discoveries could prove to be useful to us as we make advancements in the future.

Furthermore, according to a 2023 New Phytologist Foundation article, "The genus Rafflesia, which includes the world's largest flowers, has aroused curiosity among scientists for centuries and features prominently in local culture across Southeast Asia. The plant has long been used in ethnobotanical medicine and, more recently, as a source of revenue from ecotourism."

The adaptations of both titan arums and Rafflesia are unusual. We have so much we could learn from corpse flowers, and it's important to preserve our chance to gain knowledge from studying them and the natural world!

Conservation efforts

The IUCN Red List says, "Since its introduction to cultivation in the late 1800s, the [titan arum] has been grown in over 90 botanic gardens in 18 countries across the world and has successful flowered around 100 times. Botanic gardens are playing an important role in the ex situ conservation* of the species." There has been less success in cultivating Rafflesia in botanic gardens because of its dependence on specifically vines within the genus Tetrastigma and because of pollinating conditions, but it might be possible.

Even though all Rafflesia species are considered vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered, the IUCN Red List only includes the Rafflesia Magnifica in its database. The last IUCN Red List survey done for this species of Rafflesia was on January 1, 2008. Similarly, the last IUCN Red List survey for the titan arum was conducted on April 25, 2018. Both surveys reported decreasing populations, with the description of the Rafflesia Magnifica stating, "The species is confined to the mountain range of Mt. Candalaga. Only a few individuals were found with 3-5 individuals per cluster. So far, only male individuals have been recorded."

The fact that we don't have clear or recent numbers for either the titan arum or the Rafflesia species highlights the need for a widening of awareness for these remarkable plants if we are to stand a chance at saving them.

*conservation that happens outside of a species' natural habitat

Corpse flower inbreeding and crossbreeding

According to a Smithsonian Magazine article published April of this year, "Botanic gardens around the world are leading the charge to save this iconic species. But, if they hope to succeed, they’ll need to improve their recordkeeping, according to a new study published this month in the journal Annals of Botany." 

Spotty recordkeeping has been the cause of inbreeding and crossbreeding at these botanic gardens. Inbreeding is when individuals with closely linked genetics produce offspring, or when a plant pollinates itself. Crossbreeding is when individuals from different breeds, species, or varieties produce offspring. While both inbreeding and crossbreeding can have their advantages, in the case of inbreeding and crossbreeding endangered corpse flowers, this could mean a higher chance for species collapse. Inbreeding could limit genetic diversity, meaning that it could be harder for corpse flowers to adapt and survive in the future; for example, if the genetics of a group of corpse flowers are too similar, a disease that kills one flower is prone to killing the rest of the flowers too. Inbreeding could also limit the reproductive abilities of corpse flowers, or affect their ability to convert sunlight into energy, effectively killing inbred plants.

Fortunately, botanic gardens have been taking recordkeeping more seriously, and have been making advancements to improve their databases and to keep centralized records between many botanic gardens.

What YOU can do to help

You can help save corpse flowers by supporting botanic gardens that will be a necessity if corpse flowers go extinct in the wild. You can also make sustainable choices in your own life to protect the habitat of corpse flowers from deforestation, such buying from brands that don't contribute to deforestation, consuming products made using sustainable palm oil, and calling for other people you know to take action! Educate them about corpse flowers! Speak up against deforestation, the introduction of invasive species, poaching, etc. and keep yourself informed!