History of Rafflesia
Many said that Rafflesia was found by Sir Raffles. no, it is not! Rafflesia was actually first found by Deschamps around year 1797 Java. Louise Auguste Deschamps was a French naturalist-surgeon who explored Java between 1791 and 1974. Deschamps was abroad the 'La Recherche' on an expedition in search of two research ship 'Boussole' and 'Astrolabe' which lost in the Southern waters. they then was seized by the Dutch in 1793. due to Deschamps' abilities and interest in natural history, Governor Van Overstraten of the Dutch colony invited him to carry out the natural studies all over Java. Deschamps take this opportunities and had started work on a manuscript called 'Materials towards a Flora of Java'. Deschamps also had made lots of notes and illustrations, it was year 1797 that Deschamps discovered Rafflesia.
Since France were at war with British during that period, in year 1803, Deschamps' ships was taken by British navy in English Channel during his returned to France. His research was declared as a war booty. Deschamps works sand specimens was bought by John Reeves which then donated to British Museum.
In 1818, Sir Stamford Raffles, Lady Sophia Raffles and Dr. Joseph Arnold discovered Rafflesia on 19th or 20th of May 1818. Then their Discovery that first introduce this Gigantic flower to the scientific world. Before they end their expedition, Dr. Arnold had passed away and was buried at Padang Sumatra. his death was said caused by malaria. Dr. Arnold unfinished drawings was finished by Lady Sophia.
The Specimens and illustration then was sent to Arnold's banks in London through Thomas Horsfield, an American doctor working for the Dutch in Java then Banks passed it to Robert Brown and Franz Bauer. 'An Account of a new genus of plants named Rafflesia' was the result from their joint then read by Brown on 30th June 1821.
From the catalog slip,Brown intended to called the plant as Arnoldia grandiflora, but it is a synonym of weinmannia. Meanwhile,William Jack, a Scottish naturalist was hired to succeed Dr. Arnold as a naturalist for the East India Company in Sumatra. From the materials collected, Jack described the plant as R. titan Jack in the paper on April 1820. However, Brown and the Linnean society held back the actual publication of this publication until the paper described the plant as R. Arnoldii R. br., Jack's paper then published in August 1880. Jack was credited as the first who accurately pinpoint that Rafflesia is a parasite plants. Not long after that, Jack also passed away because of tropical disease. Some said that Jack died because of malaria and some said because of lung disease.
As a conclusion, the first person who discovered Rafflesia was by a French surgeon-naturalist, Louis Auguste Deschamps, first persons who introduced Rafflesia to scientific world was Sir Stamford Raffles and team, and the first person who accurately pinpoint that Rafflesia is a parasite type was William Jack, a scottish naturalist.
