Since it is a tropical country, Indonesia has abundance of flora and fauna. However, did you know that rare plants in Indonesia are decreasing in number? In fact, their existence is threatened with extinction. The threat of extinction for some of these plants is caused by many things. One of the main causes of the extinction is the conversion of land which causes several rare plant species in Indonesia to lose their habitat. Know more about these plants!
Rafflesia Arnoldii
A rare plant in Indonesia that is ranked first in the list of endangered plants is the Giant Padma flower or Rafflesia flower. This plant emits a very strong stench so it is not surprising that it is often referred to as the rafflesia corpse flower. This flower is famous in the world because it has a large size with a diameter of 1 meter and weighs up to 10 kilograms.
Titan Arum
In addition to the Giant Padma flower, there is another flower called the corpse flower or Titan Arum with the Latin name Amorphophallus titanum. The difference between this corpse flower and the giant Padma flower is in the shape of the flower that rises upwards and can reach 4 meters. The original habitat of the corpse flower comes from Sumatra, however, at this time this flower has been widely preserved and one of them is in the Taman Hutan Raya Ir. Juanda, Bandung.
Cendana
Another rare plant species in Indonesia is sandalwood or also known as cendana. Its Latin name is Santalum album, a tree that has many benefits in Indonesia. The sandalwood tree produces wood that belongs to a group of wood that exudes luxury and has a certain uniqueness. This is because wood in this rare plant can be used for making perfumes, spices, incense, aromatherapy and bayonet kris. Some argue that the fragrance of this sandalwood flower can last for hundreds of years.
Tengkawang
Well, another rare and famous plant is Tengkawang (Shorea). Its habitat can be found in the Kalimantan area. Interestingly, this plant is widely used for various things. Locals process it as oil. Tengkawang oil is produced by fallen seeds and is used for traditional medicine and flavoring dishes. Apart from being used as oil, the seeds are also used as feed and nutritious food for forest animals.
Damar
One of the rare types of trees and plants in Indonesia is Damar. This is a resin tree with the Latin name Agathis dammara. It has a stem height ranging up to 60 meters. This tree is found in many areas of Papua. This rare plant is used for the manufacture of copal (one of the basic ingredients for coating paper varnish or lacquer). The habitat of the damar tree is now almost extinct and is rarely found.
Which tree are you most interested in seeing? Tell us your opinion in the comments section below!
