Structure and development of Rafflesiaceae

Abstract

Rafflesiaceae produce the largest flowers among all flowering plants, measuring up to a meter in diameter and weighting 7 kg, and have been a source of amazement since their discovery about two centuries ago. In addition to producing the world's largest flowers, Rafflesiaceae are obligate holoparasites, residing inside their vine hosts vegetatively and emerging out only during flowering. Despite their record- breaking status and iconic significance for the conservation of the tropical rainforest, remarkably little is known about these fascinating plants, due to their remote habitat, rarity, and our inability to cultivate them. The goal of my dissertation is to provide an integrated picture of the vegetative and reproductive morphology of Rafflesiaceae.