Chien C. Lee

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  • Undoubtedly one of the world's most remarkable plants, the parasitic Rafflesia holds the record for having the largest flower, sometimes reching over one meter across. Their macabre beauty belies a clever deception: the dark reddish coloration and putrid stench of the bloom mimic the rotting carcass of an animal, which thus lures carrion flies into the interior chamber where they will pollinate it. There are around 30 species in the genus, with variable flower sizes, this being R. tuan-mudae from Borneo, one of the largest. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Undoubtedly one of the world's most remarkable plants, the parasitic Rafflesia holds the record for having the largest flower, sometimes reching over one meter across. Their macabre beauty belies a clever deception: the dark reddish coloration and putrid stench of the bloom mimic the rotting carcass of an animal, which thus lures carrion flies into the interior chamber where they will pollinate it. There are around 30 species in the genus, with variable flower sizes, this being R. tuan-mudae from Borneo, one of the largest. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Undoubtedly one of the world's most remarkable plants, the parasitic Rafflesia holds the record for having the largest flower, sometimes reching over one meter across. Their macabre beauty belies a clever deception: the dark reddish coloration and putrid stench of the bloom mimic the rotting carcass of an animal, which thus lures carrion flies into the interior chamber where they will pollinate it. There are around 30 species in the genus, with variable flower sizes, this being R. tuan-mudae from Borneo, one of the largest. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A giant bloom of Rafflesia arnoldii, the largest flower in the world, unfolds its petals in the Sumatran rainforest.  It takes nealy 2 days for the flower to fully open. West Sumatra, Indonesia.
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  • The interior of a giant Rafflesia flower (R. tuan-mudae). With petals sometimes spanning over a meter in diameter, Rafflesia are the world's largest flowers. Flies, which act as pollinators, are attracted to the color and stench of the bloom, which mimics rotting meat. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Blooming only once every three years, a corpse lily (Amorphophallus hewittii) opens its enormous inflorescence in the lowland rainforest of Borneo. The white spadix generates its own heat which helps to disperse its rotting stench to attract flies and beetles as pollinators. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The delicate blooms of a carnivorous bladderwort (Utricularia chrysantha). Queensland, Australia.
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  • Dendrobium bracteosum, an epiphytic orchid blooms in submontane forest in eastern Halmahera. North Maluku, Indonesia.
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  • Scarlet blooms of a carnivorous bladderwort (Utricularia quelchii). Canaima National Park, Venezuela.
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  • Rhododendron crassifolium. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Orchid (Aerangis articulata). Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
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  • Orchid (Otostylis lepida) growing by streamside. Canaima National Park, Venezuela.
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  • Malagasy Green Sunbird (Cinnyris notatus) feeding at flowers of Ravenala grandis. Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
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  • Nearly mature flower buds of Rhizanthes lowii, just several days before opening. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Rafflesia keithii. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The stinking Rhizanthes flower (Rhizanthes lowii) mimics a rotting carcass so well that carrion flies swarm around it to lay their eggs (visible as white flecks near the center of the flower).  In so doing the flies act as pollinating agents for this strange plant. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Producing the largest flowers in the world, the parasitic Rafflesia plant has no leaves or roots and lives entirely upon its host Tetrastigma vine. Each flower, which can take over 6 months to develop, is open for less than a week, during which it emits a fetid odor and attracts masses of flies for pollination. This species, Rafflesia pricei, is endemic to Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • After developing as a large bud over many months, this flower of Rafflesia cantleyi will take just 24 hours to fully open, and last for only 3 days before withering. Perak, Malaysia.
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  • Fairy lantern (Thismia ornata). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Bulbophyllum medusae. This orchid is named for the resemblance of its flowers to the serpentine hair of the mythical Greek creature.  A single inflorescence, which lasts only a few days, is composed of 30-100 tiny flowers each with long slender sepals.  It is found in Borneo, Sumatra, and Peninsular Malaysia.
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  • View of canopy of lowland mixed dipterocarp forest during a mass flowering event. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Orchid (Bulbophyllum canisopterum). East Kalimantan, Indonesia (Borneo).
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  • A deceptive beauty: this tiny epiphytic orchid (Dendrobium cuthbertsonii), which bears flowers that last for up to nine months and are larger than the entire plant itself, offers no nectar reward for visiting pollinators. However, it appears remarkably similar in appearance to nectar-rich Rhododendrons which have flowers the same color and size and grow nearby. West Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • The Long-tongued Nectar Bat (Macroglossus minimus) is an important pollinator of many rainforest trees. Here it is feeding on the nectar of banana flowers. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Orchid (Bulbophyllum sp.). Andasibe, Madagascar.
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  • Aerial view of primary forest during a mass flowering event. Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Goniothalamus ridleyi showing caluflory. Mount Kinabalu National Park, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Striped Bladderwort (Utricularia striatula). Bach Ma National Park, Vietnam.
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  • Orchid (Epidendrum polyanthum). Cordillera de Talamanca, Panama.
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  • With its large stiff flower bracts and copious amounts of sucrose-laded nectar, Madagascar’s Traveler’s Palms (Ravenala spp.) have evolved to be pollinated almost exclusively by several species of lemurs. Here, a Common Brown Lemur (Eulemur fulvus) feeds at the infloresence of Ravenala hladikorum. Andasibe, Madagascar.
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  • After emerging from a Rafflesia flower (Rafflesia tuan-mudae), this carrion fly carries a load of pollen stuck to its back. If it manages to visit another Rafflesia within a week it will inadvertently transfer the pollen to the receptive flower. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Unseen since its original discovery in 1866 by Odoardo Beccarii, the elusive Thismia neptunis was found again in western Borneo in 2018. Like other mycoheterotrophic plants, it is unable to photosynthesize and derives its sustenance entirely from subterranean fungi. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Closeup of the flowers of a carnivorous bladderwort (Utricularia humboldtii). Canaima National Park, Bolivar, Venezuela.
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  • Goodman's Mouse Lemur (Microcebus lehilahytsara), feeding on the nectar of night-blooming Dombeya flowers. Andasibe, Madagascar.
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  • A delicate wild begonia (Begonia ambodiforahensis) from the ever-wet rainforest of northeastern Madagascar. Masoala National Park, Madagascar.
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  • Rafflesia tuan-mudae, male flower. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The nocturnal blossoms of a wild durian (Durio kutejensis) are visited by a Cave Nectar Bat (Eonycteris spelaea). Although also attracting bees, birds, and other small pollinators during the day, the flowers of this tree open fully at dusk whereupon they begin to produce copious amounts of rich mango-scented nectar – an enticing draw for a bat with a keen sense of smell and an irresistible sweet tooth. With their ability to travel great distances and visit countless flowers in a single night, nectar-feeding bats play a vital role in the pollination of many rainforest plants. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • White Bat Flower (Tacca integrifolia). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Rhopalocnemis phalloides, a rare root parasite related to Balanophora. Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.
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  • Nectar-feeding bats play an essential role in the pollination of many rainforest trees. Here, a Long-tongued Nectar Bat (Macroglossus minimus) arrives at the night-blooming blossoms of a durian tree (Durio zibethinus). Prized for its delectable aromatic fruit, the productivity of many durian plantations is under threat where the native bat populations have been killed off by hunters. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The stinking inflorescence of a corpse lily (Amorphophallus hewittii) last only a few days before withering. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Flowers of a giant carnivorous bladderwort (Utricularia humboldtii) emerging from swampy grassland at the base of Mount Roraima. Canaima National Park, Venezuela.
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  • Terrestrial orchid (Plocoglottis moluccana). Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • Goniothalamus ridleyi. Cauliflory (flowering and fruiting along the trunk) is a common phenomenon among many rainforest tree species, and is an adaptation to reach pollinating and dispersing animals in the understory. East Kalimantan, Indonesia (Borneo).
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  • Water trumpet (Cryptocoryne ferruginea). Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Dutchman's Pipe (Aristolochia tagala). Bako National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Helmet Orchid (Corybas crenulatus). This species is endemic to Borneo, where it grows in thick moss on limestone rocks. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The tiny chlorophyll-free flowers of a Thismia (T. cf. filiformis), a mycoheterotrophic plant. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Unseen since its original discovery in 1866 by Odoardo Beccarii, the elusive Thismia neptunis was found again in western Borneo in 2018. Like other mycoheterotrophic plants, it is unable to photosynthesize and derives its sustenance entirely from subterranean fungi. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Pitcher plant (Nepenthes attenboroughii). Palawan, Philippines.
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  • A Long-tongued Nectar Bat (Macroglossus minimus) visits the flowers of a durian tree (Durio zibethinus) which open to release their nectar only at night. This bat, which is one of the smallest fruit bats, is an important pollinator of not only durian but many other forest trees. Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Helmet Orchid (Corybas crenulatus). This species is endemic to Borneo, where it grows in thick moss on limestone rocks. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Crepidium sp., a terrestrial orchid from the montane forest of Mount Kinabalu. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Closeup of the colorful inflorescence of Amorphophallus julaihii. Like other aroids, the small male flower (visible) are located above the female flowers (hidden inside the spathe). This species is endemic to limestone forest in northern Borneo. Sarawak, Malaysia.
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  • Borneo's orchid flora is estimated to comprise as many as 3000 species. Many remain unnamed and undescribed by science, including this tiny species (Bulbophyllum sp.). Although many Bulbophyllum flowers entice pollinators by unusual, often foul-smelling, odors, the bug-like appearance of this species' flowers may play a role in luring insects, a case of Pouyannian mimicry. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • This large and showy orchid (Dendrobium sanderae) grows epiphytically on trees in the mountains of Luzon Island. Aurora, Philippines.
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  • Usually visible only by its flowers, this carnivorous bladderwort (Utricularia odorata) possesses tiny underground traps which enable it to consume small invertebrates in the wet soil. Kampot, Cambodia.
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  • Polyalthia cauliflora. Cauliflory (flowering and fruiting along the trunk) is a common phenomenon among many rainforest tree species and is an adaptation to reach pollinating and dispersing animals in the understory. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Bladderwort (Utricularia livida), flowers. Akanin'ny Nofy, Madagascar.
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  • Wild torch ginger (Etlingera velutina longipedunculata), pollinated by spiderhunter birds. Kubah National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The bizarre bloom of a Rhizanthes (R. lowii) unfurls its odorous and sinister-looking petals. A member of the Rafflesia family, this rare plant is also completely parasitic, living within its host vine and possessing no leaves, stems, or roots of its own. Like the more well-known Rafflesia, the flowers mimic a rotting animal carcass to attract carrion flies as pollinators. Measuring perhaps 30cm across, the bloom is only open for a few days before dying. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • An aerial perspective of northern Borneo's lowland rainforest reveals the heterogeneity and incredible diversity of trees that comprise this ecosystem. Various flushes of reds, oranges, and yellows among the canopy as seen here are the first indications of a periodic mass flowering event during which as many as 80% of the trees may bloom simultaneously before setting fruit. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • With some of the largest leaves of all orchids, this bizarre species (Bulbophyllum beccarii) spirals its way up a tree trunk in the lowland rainforest of Borneo. The leaves are designed to trap falling leaf litter which serves as a supply of nutrients for this entirely epiphytic plant. The blooms smell of rotting fish which attract swarms of flies as pollinators. Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • The strikingly beautiful blooms of this epiphytic orchid (Dendrobium cinnabarinum var. cinnabarinum) can almost be mistaken for a hibiscus flower. Maliau Basin Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo)
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  • Rafflesia keithii. With blooms up to nearly 1 meter in diameter, this parasitic plant produces some of the largest flowers in the genus. It is endemic to Sabah (northern Borneo). Twin blooms such as this are a rare occurrence.
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  • With some of the largest leaves of all orchids, this bizarre species (Bulbophyllum beccarii) spirals its way up a tree trunk in the lowland rainforest of Borneo. The leaves are designed to trap falling leaf litter which serves as a supply of nutrients for this entirely epiphytic plant. The blooms smell of rotting fish which attract swarms of flies as pollinators. Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Rafflesia keithii. With blooms up to nearly 1 meter in diameter, this parasitic plant produces some of the largest flowers in the genus. It is endemic to Sabah (northern Borneo). Twin blooms such as this are a rare occurrence. Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Although the blooms of this rare mangrove tree (Pelliciera rhizophorae) are visited by hummingbirds in the day, the flowers remain open at night and exude a strong musty odor to attract an entirely different animal. Captured by an infrared camera trigger, a Leaf-nosed Bat (Glossophaga soricina) approaches an open flower to partake of the rich source of nectar. Nectar-feeding bats are common in the tropics and are responsible for the pollination of a great number of tree species. Choco, Colombia.
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  • Large blooms of the orchid Bulbophyllum dearei, photographed in its natural habitat in the montane forests of Sayap, northern Mt. Kinabalu, Borneo.
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  • Sometimes referred to as 'durian kura-kura' (tortoise durian), Durio testudinarum is one of the rarest of edible durian species. It flowers near the base of the tree and produces clusters of small fruits that bear a musky odor. Like other durians, the blooms of D. testudinarum are open at night, though the pollinator of this species remains unknown. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Blooming high in a moss-laden tree of Ranomafana’s montane forest, this epiphytic orchid (Aerangis fastuosa) exhales an alluring perfume at night to attract its desired pollinator: hawk moths. Madagascar has many such night-active orchids, most of which sport long tapered nectaries that can only be reached by the long tongues of their associated moths. With over a thousand species, the orchids of Madagascar are exceptionally diverse. Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
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  • An unusually-shaped epiphytic orchid (Bulbophyllum uniflorum) blooms on a mossy tree in Sumatra's montane rainforest. West Sumatra, Indonesia.
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  • Perched high on a limestone cliff, a rare slipper orchid (Paphiopedilum stonei) puts on a showy display of multiple blooms. This endangered species occurs only in a few localities in western Borneo where its population has been heavily depleted by wild collecting. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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