Rafflesia Flower Blooms Perfectly In Agam, West Sumatra

Rafflesia flower blooming in a protected forest area. (ANTARA/HO-Dok Joni Hartono)

AGAM - The Rafflesia arnoldii flower was found in full bloom by tourism activists in a protected forest area in Batang Palupuh, Nagari Koto Rantang, Agam Regency, West Sumatra.

The head of the Maninjau Natural Resources Conservation Resort, Ade Putra, explained that the Rafflesia flower is a rare species and is protected by Law Number 5 of 1990 concerning Conservation of Biological Natural Resources and their Ecosystems.

Therefore, Ade appealed to visitors to maintain and not damage their habitat.

"Plants are protected and there are sanctions provided for in the law if they damage them," he said as quoted by Antara, Monday, May 23.

Batang Palupuh tourism activist Joni Hartono said the Rafflesia flower was in full bloom on the second day on Monday (23/5).

"The Rafflesia flower bloomed the first day on Sunday (22/5) and the position of the flower is outside the Batang Palupuh Nature Reserve area," he said.

He said the flower grew on its host between trees at a distance of about 10 centimeters from the ground.

At the location, he said, there were six other Rafflesia flower knobs with a distance of about two hours from the vehicle parking location. The existence of the flower has been promoted through travel and hotels.

"There is no tourist visit to the location, because I just promoted it on Sunday (22/5)," he said.

He admitted, the distribution of Rafflesia flowers in the area was four points in the protected forest with a total of 18 knobs.

Meanwhile, in the yard of his parents' house there are 20 knobs and the Batang Palupuh Nature Reserve area as many as six knobs.

"It is estimated that one individual Rafflesia flower will fully bloom in the next few months," he said.