The Pelican Flower (Aristolochia grandiflora) is a deciduous vine in the Aristolochiaceae family of birthwort plants. Its flower emits an odor like rotting feet.
It is native to tropical forests in the Caribbean and Central America.
Its leaves are large, up to 25 centimetres (10 inches) wide.
It produces large solitary, heart-shaped greenish-white flowers with purple-brown veins. The centre of the flower is darker coloured with three sections: utricle, tube, and limb. The flowers are 10-20 centimetres (4-8 inches) wide with a tail that can be up to 60 centimetres (24 inches) long.
It is pollinated by flies breeding on the plant. They travel down the tubular part of the flower where the reproductive organs are located. The flies carry pollen. The reproductive process takes 2 days.
Photographed in Paris, France, October 2022.
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
MARTINA NICOLLS – MartinaNicollsWebsite
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