Rhizanthes infanticida explained

Rhizanthes infanticida is a species of parasitic flowering plants without leaves, stems, roots, or photosynthetic tissue. They grow on roots of the Tetrastigma vine. They are found in the tropical forests of southern Thailand, western Malaysia, and Sumatra. The brown flowers are from 14 to 22 cm across.^[1] The flowers smell like a mammalian carcass and attract flies, which pollinate the blooms while laying their eggs inside. The flies' larvae die due to the lack of nutrients, hence the species name "infanticida".^[2]

External links

• The Flowering of Australia's Rainforests: A Plant and Pollination Miscellany

Notes and References

1. Bänziger . Hans . Hansen . Bertel . A new taxonomic revision of a deceptive flower, Rhizanthes Dumortier (Rafflesiaceae). The Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society . 2000 . 117–143 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140512220805/http://www.aseanbiodiversity.info/Abstract/53001052.pdf . 2014-05-12.
2. Banziger . Hans . Bertel . Hansen . A new taxonomic revision of a deceptive flower, Rhizanthes Dumortier (Rafflesiaceae) . Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society . 2000 . 48 . 117-143 .