| Near the village of Batung Palupuh, 10 km north of Bukittinggi, is a Rafflesia Sanctuary in the Rimba Pati Nature Reserve. Here, if you are lucky, you can spot the world's largest flower, the Rafflesia Arnoldi. Actually, it is not a flower, but a gigantic parasite growing on the Tetrastigma vine. The flower starts as a cabbage-like bud, swelling and eventually opening in enormous bloom, which can measure up to one metre across. It's horrible stench of carrion attracts insects, which are required for the pollination. However, to be successful, another blooming flower of the opposite sex has to be nearby. When a pollinated flower collapses, the fruits are buried somewhere near the bottom, waiting to be picked up by insects or other animals and to find their way to the right sort of vine to form another bloom. |  Above and right: Rafflesia Arnoldi |
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