Authorities plead for public not to touch delicate ‘penis plant’
ITS potential to raise a titter is undeniable but a jungle plant’s remarkable resemblance to the male member could prove to be its undoing.
A social media video of a group of women giggling as they handle socalled “carnivorous penis plants” in the highlands of Cambodia has alarmed conservationists.
With their tubular shaft and bellshaped ending, the phallic-looking plants on the slopes of Bokor Mountain were used as an entertaining selfie prop. But experts warn that if more people follow that lead, the unusual Nepenthes bokorensis could be doomed.
“Do not pick the flowers, or they will be ruined,” said Cambodia’s environment ministry. “Please don’t do this again in future.”
The species is a type of pitcher plant, designed to lure and catch insects inside their tubular shafts.
François Mey, a botanical illustrator, said if people want to pose for pictures with the plants “it’s fine”. “Just do not pick the pitchers because it weakens the plant because the plant needs these pitchers to feed,” he told