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Hi all,

on my recent trip to Lundu,a town 45 mins drive from Bau,and driving past the Gading National Park(the place to see Rafflesia(a parastic plant of the world's biggest flower) i took a road leading to an isolated abandon logging road.Reaching an open flat land with no trees not typical of rainforest,only short stunted trees and bushes took residence.The ground were mostly white sand with stream carrying brackish water towards south china sea.Here rafflesiana were thriving and growing madly all over the place,their pitchers clinging to anything available up the stunted tree and bushes.I have to be careful walking over some of the places as many young raff plants were growing,carpeting the place.The place is very hot,humid with winds blowing from the sea a mile away.The raff plants grows in the open,with minimal shade.

....barren landscape
DSC_7204alt8.jpg



...my native companion sporting the typical Borneon coconut haircut admiring gigantea green form.
DSC_7251alt2.jpg


rafflesiana gigantea upper dangling over the stunted tree.Notice the white sandy path, lower left of photo.
DSC_7241alt9.jpg


..common type aerial raffs
DSC_7219alt1.jpg


more pics of aerial raffs and ant(polyrachis sp)harvesting nectar
raffaerial10.jpg


..lower raffs
DSC_7263alt6.jpg


..aerial raffs spotting yellowish peristome
raff2.jpg


..flowering raffs
rafflesiana1.jpg


As expected there are some gracilis grow among the raffs
gracilis.jpg


..and hybrid of either raffs x gracilis or raffs x mirabilis.Experienced growers,which is which?
DSC_7227alt4.jpg


Feedbacks and comments are welcome....Robert
 
Thanks rbjong, I've been waiting to see some [wonderful] photos of rafflesiana in the wild!

Cheers
 
It is very interesting that you stated that they are growing near a brackish water source. It would be safely stated that the soil is probably rich in salt from accumulation.
I have been noticing a trend among many lowlanders which grow near the sea. Is their high tolerance to salt (i.e. sp. Viking, thorelii, gracilis, and now rafflesiana).
Plus their high concentrations of calcium from the sand, etc. Not so much with regards to growing in a peaty substrate.

Please post more pics showing these kinds of growth factors. They are an amazing discovery to the current thoughts on growing these plants.

Michael
 
Robert, I'd say the last pic is raff x mirabilis.

Hamish
 
Man, do I love raffs, especially the uppers! But what I love more are your pics of them !
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Hi Robert
Stunning pictures,Gotta love Raffs,the 4th picture of the uppers is lovely
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and that hybrid really nice.
Bye for now julian
 
Hi robert,
those are really beautiful plants, and I was shocked that giant form also grows in the open! I thought it prefered shade! What is the leaf span of the giant form and typical forms? How about inflorescence and stem?
Great pics,
Thanks
 
Hi Robert,
Once again, your pictures are not only wonderful photographs, but shed so much light on the variations and environments of these amazing plants. Keep it going!
 
Those are the most interesting pictures I've seen for a long time.
Excellent.
Tony.
 
  • #10
Wonderfully descriptive pictures! I love rafflesiana lower pitchers. Amoung some of the most interestingly diverse. This growing location just goes to show you how vastly diverse N. rafflesiana is in its morphology and its growing habitat.
 
  • #11
Hi all,thank you for the response and enjoying the pics.I am posting extra pic of the habitats for viewing.

Thanks Hamish for helping to indetify the rafflesiana x mirabilis.

Lam,the leaves and tendrils of the gigantea and typical raffs are short,quite different from other places i came across.I am posting the pic for you and everyone to view.

10alt1.jpg

This is the heath forest inbetween the south china sea and the Gading mountain ( contain the Gading National park).Trees are stunted.Rain dissipates under the ground soon as it rains.

11alt1.jpg


Short tendril and leaves,but long pitchers of gigantea green forms.

.Robert
 
  • #12
wow! these pictures are amazing! and too think that so many of us baby our plants...

thanks for making me jealous at 7 am!

tech...
 
  • #14
Terrific photos, rbjong. You did a great job and pictures of plants in situ are fascinating, as well as informative. Plese keep'm coming!
 
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