BENGKULU TO GROW RAFFLESIA TO BOOST ECOTOURISM by Fardah

     Jakarta, Sept 16 , 2015(Antara)- Bengkulu City, dubbed "The Land of Rafflesia," is hosting an international symposium on Rafflesia and Amorphophallus, two of the world's most charismatic yet endangered species, from September 14 to 16, 2015.

        Scientists and researchers from eight countries, including Japan, China, France, and Malaysia, are attending the symposium, which is being jointly organized by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), the Environmental Affairs and Forestry Ministry, and the Bengkulu administration.

         The meeting was originally planned to focus on Rafflesia, but later, the organizing committee decided to also include Amorphophallus as most of the people cannot distinguish between Rafflesia and Amorphophallus, which are among the world's rarest and largest flowers.

RAFFLESIA, AMORPHOPHALLUS FLOWERS TO BE PROMOTED AS BOTANICAL TREASURES by Fardah

    Jakarta, Oct 4, 2014 (Antara) - Bengkulu, which is dubbed "The Land of Rafflesia", is set to host an international symposium on Rafflesia and Amorphophallus flowers, the world's rarest and largest flowers, in September 2015.

        "Bengkulu has been chosen as the host city because the Bengkulu forest is home to Rafflesia and Amorphophallus flowers," researcher of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Sofi Mursidawati said in Bengkulu on Oct 3, 2014.

         The symposium, to be organized jointly by LIPI and the Bengkulu administration, was originally planned to focus on Rafflesia, but later the organizing committee decided to also include Amorphophallus,  because much of the public cannot distinguish between Rafflesia and Amorphophallus flowers.

BENGKULU PROMOTES GIANT RAFFLESIA FLOWERS TO ATTRACT TOURISTS by Fardah

    Jakarta, April 10, 2014 (Antara) - Bengkulu Province is one of few habitats of the world's rarest gigantic Rafflesia species that are  found only in southeastern Asian forests of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand.

         Rafflesia is the official flower of Indonesia's Bengkulu province, Sabah state in Malaysia, and also Surat Thani Province in Thailand.

         The Bengkulu administration is currently making a map of the Rafflesia habitats in the province and promoting the flower species to attract more tourists.  Four species of Rafflesia exist in Bengkulu forests. They are Rafflesia arnoldii, gadutensis, hasselti, and bengkuluensis.