Rare Plants of the Rainforest

Rainforests contain the highest diversity and biomass of flora and fauna of any environment on earth. A 2.5 acres of tropical rainforest may contain more than 750 types of trees and 1,500 species of higher plants. With the loss of rainforest to farming, logging companies and other forms of development, hundreds of species are lost or added to the endangered species list each year. However, there is also a demand by gardeners for rare and exotic species.

There are in excess of 25,000 different species of orchids, and many are rare enough to be on the endangered species lists. Prized for their startling beautiful flowers, orchids are perennial plants found in almost all environments across the world, but are particularly numerous in rainforests. Most orchids traded internationally originate from India, Thailand, China, Singapore, Madagascar, Brazil and Guatamala. Much damage was done to the diversity of orchids during the 19th century, when European aristocrats were known to collect every specimen they found and then burned the areas in their wake, to prevent others from profiting from the same area. Regulations were introduced in the 1960s and 1970s to protect endangered species of orchids.

The Rafflesia flower is mainly found in Indonesian lowland tropical forests. It possesses by far the largest bloom of any flower, and is also one of the world's rarest. The flower measures almost 1 m in diameter, and can weigh in excess of 6 lbs. The large flower lasts only a week before it dies. The Rafflesia is a fleshy, rootless, leafless and stemless plant. The Rafflesia is completely dependent on a vine called Tetrastigma, which is related to the grapevine. It has an unpleasant odor that attracts flies and beetles for pollination.

The Parrot Plant (Impatiens psittacina) bears flowers whose shape and color (shades of lilac, reddish purple and white) resemble a parrot in flight. Identified in Thailand, Myanmar and Northern India, the rare rainforest plant was described in 1901 by the botanist J.D. Hooker. There has been some recent speculation that the flower was actually a hoax, but its existence was noted by Ray Morgan, in an article he wrote for "The Plantsman" in 2007.

The Hurricane Palm (Hyophorbe amaricaulis), is found exclusively on the islands of Mauritius, and only has one surviving relative. The palm measures around 12 m, and possesses a thin gray trunk, crowned by a waxy shank. The hurricane palm is a protected species.