The excellent news comes from a collaboration between the Forest Research Center of the Sabah Department of Forestry, the Beluran District Forestry Office and TSH Resources Berhad. A research team led by John Sugau, Dr. Reuben Nilus and Razy Japir successfully discovered the population Rafflesia tengku-adliniiendemic species of Sabah, within the Bukit Monkobo and Bukit Mentapok forest reserves during a scientific expedition in August 2024.
Among the three identified Rafflesia species in Sabah, Rafflesia tengku-adlinii is the rarest and smallest. The significance of this discovery expands knowledge of the distribution of this endemic species, which was previously known only in western and central Sabah, is now confirmed within the north-central region, particularly in Mount Monkobo and Mentapok. Scientists found three populations on Mount Monkobo and one other on Mount Mentapok.
Species Rafflesia tengku-adlinii was named after Datuk Tengku Zainal Adlin Tengku Zainal Abidin, a outstanding conservationist in Sabah. He was the primary to document the existence of this species in 1987 at Kampung Tempulun, near Kampung Kaingaran, Tambunan, on the western slope of Mount Trus Madi.
In 1988, one other discovery was made when the species was found spreading on Mount Lotung, within the Maliau Basin Protected Area, and in Kampung Sinoa on the southeastern slopes of Mount Trus Madi. This species was later described by the late Mat-Salleh and Latiff of their 1989 scientific publication from specimens collected from Mount Trus Madi in Sabah.
This species, with a flower diameter starting from 20 to 25 centimeters, is taken into account certainly one of the smallest Rafflesia species in Malaysia. Its characteristic feature are light orange perigon lobes marked with rounded papillae, which distinguishes it from other Rafflesia species within the region.
The Rafflesia genus (R.Br.), belonging to the Rafflesiaceae family, is one of the unique groups of parasitic flowering plants on this planet. Its geographic range is restricted to Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Indonesia.
To date, Malaysia has been recognized because the habitat of 13 species Rafflesia. Eight species have been identified in Peninsular Malaysia: R. cantleyi, R. azlan, R.Kerri, R. su-meiae, R. sharifah-hapsahiae, R. parvimaculata, R. tuanku-halimiiAND R. tiomanensis.
Three species have been present in Sabah: R. cenai, R. keitiiAND R. tengku-adlinii. Sarawak also shows high levels Rafflesia diversity, with 4 species documented: R. hasseltii, R. keitii, R. cenaiAND R. young master.
As a parasitic plant, Rafflesia it cannot survive by itself. Requires a number from Tetrastigmata kind, especially T.diepenhorstii species to supply it with essential nutrients throughout its life cycle.
Datuk Frederick Kugan, Chief Conservator of Forests, said the invention was rare Rafflesia species within the Bukit Monkobo and Bukit Mentapok Class I (Conservation) Forest Reserves will function a big catalyst for strengthening conservation efforts in the realm. The decision to revive the reserve status in 2015 became much more relevant with the invention of this extremely priceless endemic species.
The reserve covers an area of 5,443 hectares and includes two essential peaks, Mount Monkobo (1,829 m) and Mount Mentapok (1,581 m). Although administratively known as “Bukit” (hill), the term “Gunung” (mountain) is more commonly utilized by the local people. These two peaks form a part of a comparatively unexplored mountain range within the north-central a part of the region, and far of the reserve borders the Ulu Tungud Forest Reserve, managed by TSH Resources Berhad.
