Philippine Journal of Science
150 (S1): 321-334, Special Issue on Biodiversity
ISSN 0031 – 7683
Date Received: 28 Sep 2020

Flower and Fruit Development and Life History
of Rafflesia consueloae (Rafflesiaceae)

Janine R. Tolod^1,2*, John Michael M. Galindon³, Russel R. Atienza^1,2,
Melizar V. Duya^1,2, Edwino S. Fernando^1,4, and Perry S. Ong^1,2

¹Institute of Biology, College of Science
University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City 1101 Philippines
²Diliman Science Research Foundation, Diliman, Quezon City 1101 Philippines
³National Museum, Padre Burgos Drive, Ermita, Manila 1000 Philippines
⁴Department of Forest Biological Sciences, College of Forestry and Natural Resources
University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna 4031 Philippines

*Corresponding author: jrtolod@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Flower and fruit development of Rafflesia consueloae were studied between February 2014 and April 2016 in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. Flower development was divided into five distinct phases: (1) emergence, (2) post-emergence, (3) bract, (4) perigone, and (5) anthesis. Fruit development was monitored from flower senescence until fruiting and maturation. A total of 512 individual buds were monitored – discovered at different stages of bud development. Only nine buds were monitored from post-emergence until the perigone phase. A bloom rate of 19.73% and an overall mortality rate of 77.34% were recorded. Mortality was highest during the early phases (post-emergence and bract) and lowest at the perigone phase. R. consueloae exhibited nocturnal flowering; wherein anthesis usually begins at dusk, signaled by the detachment of the first lobe, and from there on, full bloom took 15 ± 5.85 h to complete. Flowering was at its highest during the coldest and driest months of the year – between December and April. The growth rate is exponential, with an overall diameter growth of 1.80% every 4 d. The highest growth rate was recorded during the perigone phase. Six fruits, considered as dehiscent berries, ripened mostly in July – within 145 ± 11.03 d from anthesis.