on the lower slopes of the mountain a
plant grows that has no leaves at all
or even a stem
all that can be seen is this
a bud
it is a parasite
the rest of its body lies within the
tissues of a liana on which it feeds
after about five years the bud finally
opens
into a monstrous flower
it now has only a day or so in which to
be pollinated before it starts to wither
its petals are the colour of blood
their surface is tough and warty
[Music]
it appears to have fur
even whiskers and teeth
at first sight it might be mistaken for
a dead animal
this is rafflesia
the corpse flower
a meter across it’s the world’s biggest
flower
[Music]
and this one is a male
[Music]
from its center
comes the pungent odour of death
[Music]
it’s a scent that might not appeal to
every animal
but it’s very attractive to carrion
flies
they lay their eggs on rotting flesh
[Music]
the scent lures the fly deep into the
flower
in search of meat
the fly finds nothing
the refreezer however has the fly
exactly where it wants it
it stuck pollen to the fly’s back
[Music]
if this male reflexes strategy is to
work
the fly carrying its pollen must now
visit a female corpse flower
such as this one
success
