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Mysterious giant plant, Mount Kenya National Park.

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The savannah sits astride the equator in Kenya.

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It is where wild animals roam.

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The mountain in the distance dominating the plains is Mount Kenya.

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5,199 meters above sea level,

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it is Africa's second highest mountain after Mount Kilimanjaro.

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This is one of the valleys at 4,300 meters.

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Strange-shaped giant plants can be seen growing on the slopes here.

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The area defies all rules of accepted botanical knowledge.

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Alpine plants grow higher than human height.

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It makes people feel as if they are wandering into an unknown and ancient world.

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The most notable example is a giant Senecio,

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which grows to over 7 meters in height and has a very peculiar shape.

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It looks similar to the cycad of the dinosaur era.

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However, it is a genuine angiosperm which flowers on top.

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It belongs to the Asteraceae family.

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This is Dendro Senecio Brassica.

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It also belongs to the Asteraceae family,

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but the thickness of its stem is more than one meter in diameter.

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The tip of the stem is hidden inside the layers of leaves.

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This is the most important part of the plant for growth.

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The temperature now is below freezing point.

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This is what is happening inside.

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Dendro Senecio Brassica protect themselves from the cold

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with an antifreeze solution and layers of thick leaves.

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Damp air from the Indian Ocean hits Mount Kenya

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and forms a thick fog which lingers in the valley.

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Giant plants gather moisture from the mist.

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However, the daytime temperature on the equator goes up to 30 degrees Celsius.

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The temperature inside the stem does not change much

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despite the drastic temperature change outside.

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It's empty inside.

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Air is stored to be warmed up during the daytime.

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The dead leaves around the stem act as an insulator

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to maintain a consistent temperature during the freezing cold at night.

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It is said that this is how giant Senecio started to grow into giant plants.

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The more air they can store, the warmer they can stay.

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These gigantic plants altered their shape to survive in a unique environment

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on Mount Kenya.