Dr Chris Thorogood, a botanist at Oxford University, fulfilled a childhood dream after travelling deep into the Philippines rainforest to lay eyes on the otherworldly Rafflesia banaoana, but didn't do it for the scent.
The rare parasitic plant is the most elusive species of the genus named after Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore, and is only found in the deep rainforests of Luzon island.
The red-spotted flower can grow to one-and-a-half meters across and weighs an astounding 10 kilograms.
"They're like vampires, they steal their food from other plants," Dr Thorogood said.
Thorogood is believed to be the first Westerner to see the pungent plant, his trip aided by local botanists and achieved with permission of the indigenous Banao community. Upon finding the bright, smelly bloom, Thorogood says he was reduced to tears.
"The smell wasn't dreadful, maybe it was all the excitement I don't know.
"If you really lean in and sniff the flower, I can't say it's pleasant, it's pretty grim."
He thanked a team of local experts who helped him locate the rare plant.
"The guys I was with, they had machetes and they helped us tunnel into this pathless wilderness.
"We went on this intrepid trek into uncharted territory."
Despite having local knowledge to locate the plant, finding it was no walk in the park. Not even the wildest English forest could match the challenges provided by the Phillipine jungle. Blood-sucking leeches took a liking to the Oxford scientist and his blood was flowing freely.
"There's a certain hostility about this habitat that you can't deny.
"I looked down and to my horror my arms were absolutely streaming with blood.
"I found all these leeches had adhered to my skin.
"The harder I pulled they just wouldn't come off. Then I was told, if you leave them they fill with blood and fall off on their own accord."
Despite the challenges, Thorogood said he would love to go back to the rainforest of south east Asia.
"It's the most special place in the planet to me anyway.
"It's an incredible privilege to have seen this special flower."
Dr Thorogood is a botanist at Oxford University, deputy director of Oxford Botanic Garden and author of multiple books about plants.
