JAKARTA - Indonesia's biodiversity is known as one of the richest in the world, with various endemic flora species that only grow in certain areas.
The island of Sumatra is one of the important areas that holds rare plant wealth, including corpse flowers from the genus Amorphophallus which have high ecological value and an important role in the balance of forest ecosystems.
The West Sumatra Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) has again found Amorphophallus titanum, an endemic flower of Sumatra Island, in Palupuah District, Agam Regency.
"After we calculated the height of the corpse flower, it reached 113 centimeters, the circumference of the flower was 69 centimeters and the circumference of the stem was 33 centimeters," said the Forest Ecosystem Operator of the West Sumatra BKSDA, Syahrul Fitra in Agam Regency, as quoted by ANTARA.
Syahrul explained that based on data collected by the West Sumatra BKSDA, the Palupuah District area is the area with the most dead flower findings in the area. A number of types of Amorphophallus that have been identified include Amorphophallus titanum, Amorphophallus beccarii, Amorphophallus paeoniifolius, and Amorphophallus gigas.
Of the several species that have been successfully recorded, Amorphophallus gigas is said to be the rarest type. This is suspected to be due to its not too wide distribution in the Ranah Minang region.
"The last time we found this Amorphophallus gigas in Jorong Batang Palupuah, Nagari Koto Rantang in 2021," he said.
He added that after the corpse flower has experienced a withered or dead phase, about seven months later it will grow back a vegetative phase in the form of new leaves and stems. Considering that corpse flowers are protected plants under Law Number 5 of 1990 concerning the Conservation of Natural Living Resources and their Ecosystems, the BKSDA continues to intensify socialization activities to the public.
The socialization effort aims to provide an understanding to the public that the corpse flower is a protected plant, so that it is hoped that there will be no pruning due to lack of knowledge. BKSDA also conveyed that it had given a warning to those who were proven to have pruned and obtained a commitment that the action would not be repeated.
"Until now we continue to carry out socialization that this is a plant protected by law," he said.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
