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RAFFLESIACEAE

RAFFLESIA FAMILY

George Yatskievych

Perennial, stem- or root-parasites lacking chlorophyll, generally monoecious or dioecious
Stem reduced to thread-like tissue underground or inside host stem
Leaf scale-like
Inflorescence: short spike or flower solitary
Flower generally unisexual, radial, fleshy; sepals 4–16, often fused at base; petals 0; stamens 5–many, fused to style axis forming a column that is generally expanded at tip into a disk with stigmatic areas or stamens along or under margin; ovary ± inferior, chambers 1–several, placentas parietal
Fruit various, generally fleshy
Seeds many, minute
Genera in family: ± 8 genera ± 50 species: worldwide, especially tropical. Poorly known taxonomically. Rafflesia species have world's largest flowers (1 m diam); Pilostyles flowers are < 2 mm diam.