Kujan, seen with the blooming Rafflesia that he had stumbled upon last week while searching for rattan in the jungle near Sungai Parod, at Sungai Asap in Belaga. — Picture courtesy of Borneo Post Online
MIRI, June 28 — A farmer from Sungai Asap in Belaga never thought that an ordinary trip to the jungle at Sungai Parop ended up with the discovery of two Rafflesia flowers.
Kujan Lusat, 65, from Uma Badeng at Sungai Asap stumbled upon the plant, regarded as the largest carnivorous flower in the world, while looking for rattan in the jungle mid-last week.
“The jungle is about an hour walk from my longhouse. It’s a surprise that I did not find any rattan that day; I discovered two Rafflesia flowers — one was in full bloom, while the other was still a bud.
“I do hope that the other one would bloom soon,” he said when contacted by The Borneo Post here, adding that the blooming Rafflesia was about a foot (over 30cm) in diameter.
He said it was the first time such a plant had been found in Sungai Asap.
One of the two Rafflesia flowers discovered by Kujan at a jungle near Sungai Parod. — Picture courtesy of Borneo Post Online
“While looking for rattan that day, something in bright, red colour from afar caught my attention. I went closer and was shocked to find the Rafflesia, which I know is a protected species,” said Kujan, who returned to the jungle yesterday to check on the two Rafflesia flowers.
Named after adventurer and founder of the British colony in Singapore, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, this plant species can grow up to a diametre size of 91cm, and 7kg in weight.
The flower, usually vibrant red in colour with lighter-toned specks all over the petals, emits a foul stench reminiscent of rotten meat; hence, another name for it — the ‘corpse flower’.
The Rafflesia is protected under Sarawak Wildlife Protection Ordinance (1998), making it an offence to hunt, kill, capture, sell or possess the whole of any part of this plant. — Borneo Post Online