Rafflesia arnoldii
Rafflesia arnoldii produces the world's largest individual flowers, with blooms around 1 meter in diameter. Interestingly, the species does not produce leaves and lives as a parasite inside Tetrastigma vines.…
Nepenthes tobaica Species Profile
Nepenthes tobaica is a species of pitcher plant endemic to Sumatra. It is particularly abundant near Lake Toba, for which it is named, where it can be found in practically…
Nepenthes gymnamphora Species Profile
Nepenthes gymnamphora is a species of pitcher plant native to highland regions of Sumatra and Java. The taxonomy of the species is complex, with some authors distinguishing N. pectinata and…
Nepenthes albomarginata Species Profile
Nepenthes albomarginata is named for its distinctive band of white trichomes under its peristome. These trichomes are attractive to termites, which feed on them and inadvertently become prey themselves when…
Nepenthes eustachya Species Profile
Nepenthes eustachya is a lowland species endemic to Sumatra. The plant produces some of the most gaudy traps in the genus, with pitchers coloured with splashes of cream, red and…
Nepenthes rhombicaulis Species Profile
Nepenthes rhombicaulis is mainly known from a few mountains in the Toba region of North Sumatra, where it grows in the highlands above roughly 1,500 m elevation. The species often…
Nepenthes spectabilis Species Profile
Nepenthes spectabilis is endemic to the highlands of Sumatra, where it is found in cloud forests above 1,600 m elevation. The species produces elongated pitchers which are coloured brown and…
A Journey Through Sumatra – Part 3 (North Sumatra)
Read Part 1: Jambi Read Part 2: West Sumatra Lake Toba Having already experienced the horrors of the Trans-Sumatran Highway, I shuddered as I boarded the overnight, overly air-conditioned bus.…
A Journey Through Sumatra – Part 2 (West Sumatra)
Read Part 1: Jambi Read Part 3: North Sumatra Gunung Talang West Sumatra is known for its chain of volcanic peaks, each dramatically rising high out of the lowlands. These…
A Journey Though Sumatra – Part 1 (Jambi)
Read Part 2: West Sumatra Read Part 3: North Sumatra KerinciThe journey to Jambi Province on the mountainous west coast of Sumatra was long and arduous. After a sleepless night…