The study examined 42 Rafflesia species in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand.
One species of the Rafflesia flower is currently classified as critically endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
It is something of an enigma, with its flowers emerging unpredictably, and botanists have had limited success propagating it outside its natural environment. Based on the rapid disappearance of its forest habitats, as well as insufficient conservation strategies and protection plans, the plant is at far greater risk than previously known, they said.
“We urgently need a joined-up, cross-regional approach to save some of the world’s most remarkable flowers, most of which are now on the brink of being lost,” said Chris Thorogood, deputy director of Oxford University’s Botanical Garden and a study author.