View this post on Instagram Photos by @FransLanting There is nothing else like it in the world: a flower the size of a truck tire—three feet across, orange and rubbery with a smell like something that has been in the fridge for too long. This is Rafflesia, a mysterious, parasitic plant that lives underground. It only becomes visible as an improbable giant floral outgrowth in the gloomy undergrowth of Borneo’s rainforest. In the first image you see a Rafflesia flower in its full glory, which only lasts for a day, then it falls apart like a decaying mushroom. I illuminated this one from within. It was quite tricky to do that successfully. In the second image you see how it comes out of the ground like a jungle cabbage before its petals unfold. It is truly one of the great wonders of the plant world. Let me know if you have ever seen anything like it. Stay tuned for more marvels and follow @ChristineEckstrom for more video encounters with the natural world. @NatgeoCreative @ThePhotoSociety @LeonardodiCapriofdn #Borneo #Rafflesia #Wonder #Amazing #Jungles #Naturephotography A post shared by Frans Lanting (@franslanting) on Aug 28, 2018 at 3:24pm PDT
Photos by @FransLanting There is nothing else like it in the world: a flower the size of a truck tire—three feet across, orange and rubbery with a smell like something that has been in the fridge for too long. This is Rafflesia, a mysterious, parasitic plant that lives underground. It only becomes visible as an improbable giant floral outgrowth in the gloomy undergrowth of Borneo’s rainforest. In the first image you see a Rafflesia flower in its full glory, which only lasts for a day, then it falls apart like a decaying mushroom. I illuminated this one from within. It was quite tricky to do that successfully. In the second image you see how it comes out of the ground like a jungle cabbage before its petals unfold. It is truly one of the great wonders of the plant world. Let me know if you have ever seen anything like it. Stay tuned for more marvels and follow @ChristineEckstrom for more video encounters with the natural world. @NatgeoCreative @ThePhotoSociety @LeonardodiCapriofdn #Borneo #Rafflesia #Wonder #Amazing #Jungles #Naturephotography
A post shared by Frans Lanting (@franslanting) on Aug 28, 2018 at 3:24pm PDT