DISPERSAL OF RAFFLESIA PATMA BLUME ENDOPHYTE IN GRAFTED HOST PLANT (TETRASTIGMA LEUCOSTAPHYLUM (DENNST.) ALSTON)

• Main Authors: Adhityo WICAKSONO, Jaime A. TEIXEIRA DA SILVA, Sofi MURSIDAWATI
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi 2017-12-01
• Series: Journal of Plant Development
• Subjects: endophyte; parasitic plant; Rafflesiaceae; Tetrastigma; vine
• Online Access: http://www.plant-journal.uaic.ro/docs/2017/13.pdf
• ISSN: 2065-3158; 2066-9917

This study provides a hypothetical discussion about the growth of Rafflesia patma Blume (syn. R. horsfieldii R. Br. (1821); Rafflesiaceae), an endophytic parasite, within a grafted host, a woody vine (Tetrastigma leucostaphylum (Dennst.) Alston). Based on the observation of a 10-year old (2007 to 2017) R. patma – T. leucostaphylum graft, we hypothesize that R. patma moves away from its host rather than remaining in an anchored position from which it flowers, although flower knobs that emerge later may vary in range from the grafting point, i.e., flower knobs may develop close to or far away from the grafting point. Our provisional macroscopic observations point towards a gradual creeping motion of the endophyte towards new host tissues, flowering opportunistically when sufficient nutrients have been found. Much has yet to be discovered about the growth and flowering behavior of R. patma and about the dynamics of the R. patma – T. leucostaphylum interaction.