Other - Plants

Nepenthes lowii uses its 'toilet' pitchers to collect mammal and bird poop as a source of nutrients

Kinabalu orchid (Paphiopedilum lowii)

Kinabalu orchid (Paphiopedilum lowii)

Rafflesia pricei, Borneo

Rafflesia pricei, Borneo.

Rafflesia pricei, Borneo

Rafflesia pricei, Borneo.

Rafflesia pricei, Borneo

I was filming in #Borneo for #BBCEarth #EarthOnLocation... For two weeks we had been searching for a flowering parasitic Rafflesia, the biggest flower in the world. Its distinctive red and white petals resemble rotting flesh and its putrid smell attracts flies. Its other name is the corpse flower. I received a promising call from Tambunan forest reserve. By the time we arrived the flower was well past its best. It had a large split in its side, just enough for me to focus my lens through. I used the light from my headtorch to illuminate its cavernous inside as a fly landed to collect pollen from the tips of the thick red anthers. #Rafflesia #flower #nature #Borneo #Parasite #Travel #Wildife

Rafflesia pricei, Borneo

I was filming in #Borneo for #BBCEarth #EarthOnLocation... For two weeks we had been searching for a flowering parasitic Rafflesia, the biggest flower in the world. Its distinctive red and white petals resemble rotting flesh and its putrid smell attracts flies. Its other name is the corpse flower. I received a promising call from Tambunan forest reserve. By the time we arrived the briefly vibrant flower was well past its best. It had a large split in its side, just enough for me to focus my lens through. I used the light from my headtorch to illuminate its cavernous inside as a fly landed to collect pollen from the tips of the thick red anthers. #Rafflesia #flower #nature #Borneo #Parasite #Travel #Wildife

Rafflesia pricei, Borneo

Rafflesia pricei, Borneo. One of the worlds biggest flowers, a parasitic plant that smells of rotting flesh and is pollinated by flies.

Rafflesia pricei, Borneo

Rafflesia pricei, Borneo. One of the worlds biggest flowers, a parasitic plant that smells of rotting flesh and is pollinated by flies.

IMG_7059.jpg

Giant water lily (Victoria cruziana) Pantanal, Matogrossense National Park, Brazil. Underside of leaf showing spines for protection against fish, and thick stems filled with air for support.

IMG_7045.jpg

Giant water lily (Victoria cruziana) Pantanal, Matogrossense National Park, Brazil. Underside of leaf showing spines for protection against fish, and thick stems filled with air for support.

IMG_6722.jpg

Giant water lily (Victoria cruziana) Pantanal, Matogrossense National Park, Brazil. Flowers open at night to attract beetles to pollinate them. The flower is 10oC warmer than its surroundings, this helps its scent to radiate.

IMG_6719.jpg

Giant water lily (Victoria cruziana) Pantanal, Matogrossense National Park, Brazil. Flowers open at night to attract beetles to pollinate them. The flower is 10oC warmer than its surroundings, this helps its scent to radiate.

IMG_5918.jpg

Giant water lily (Victoria cruziana) Pantanal, Matogrossense National Park, Brazil. Flowers open at night to attract beetles to pollinate them. The flower is 10oC warmer than its surroundings, this helps its scent to radiate.

IMG_3628-1.jpg

Giant water lily (Victoria cruziana) Pantanal, Matogrossense National Park, Brazil. Amolar Mountains in background.

Hippeastrum belladonna, flower in the Pantanal. Brazil.

Mystery flower from the Pantanal, Brazil - the local people told me that it was only found on one hill in the area. Any one know it's name?

Hippeastrum belladonna, flower in the Pantanal. Brazil.

Hippeastrum belladonna, flower in the Pantanal. Brazil.

IMG_2595.jpg

Giant water lily (Victoria cruziana) Pantanal, Matogrossense National Park, Brazil.

Funky Foxfire! Found some unbelievably bright glowing fungus, Malaysia

This is purely lit from the bioluminescence. 30 second exposure, ISO 400. Largest cap is 2cms wide. Foxfire, is the bioluminescence created by some species of fungi. Whether this serves a purpose other than simply being a chemical biproduct is unknown, but some scientists believe that insects are attracted to the light and they help the fungus to disperse its spores.