Home
06 December 2023 ( 131 views )
Advertisements

What Are Cambodia’s 'Penis Plants' That Are On The Verge Of Extinction?

Recently, the government of Cambodia requested its citizens to not pluck the rare plant Nepenthes holdenii after a series of images went viral with women plucking and posing with the plant, due to its shape looking awfully similar to the phallic shape of the male genitalia when glanced upon from a certain angle.

What Exactly Are Cambodia’s Penis Plants That Are On The Verge Of ExtinctionEarthly Mission

Also Read: Australia Has A Giant Penis You Can See From Space, And No One Knows Who's Responsible For It

Reported first by Khmer Times, the Cambodian Ministry of Environment has shared the images of these women on its Facebook page, stating, "What they are doing is wrong and please don’t do it again in the future! Thank you for loving natural resources, but don’t harvest so it goes to waste!" 

They've previously too asked tourists and individuals to refrain from plucking the flowers as it could very well drive the plants to extinction. 

The Nepenthes species

Found originally in the tropical parts of Western Cambodia, these plants thrive in low-nutrient soil areas and they are known to adjust their nutritional requirements via insects, making use of their sweet nectar and scent to lure their prey. 

What Exactly Are Cambodia’s Penis Plants That Are On The Verge Of ExtinctionShutterstock

Also Read: Millions Of Penis-Like Fishes Get Stranded On Beach, And It's The Craziest Thing You Will See

The insects get tempted to feed the nectar from the pitcher plants. When the insect falls inside it, the insect isn’t able to fly as their body gets coated in the digestive fluids of the plants. In this process the plant absorbs the nutrients. 

Agricultural expansion, as well as growth of tourism has led to the decline of this rare plant species.

A rare species

While many might find it funny, based on its aesthetic, the pitcher plant is on the verge of extinction. 

The plant is actually closely related to a species dubbed Nepenthes bokorensis, according to Jeremy Holden, a freelance wildlife photographer who first discovered the former species as well as Francois Mey, a botanical illustrator who described both the species, in a conversation with LiveScience. 

While both Holdeni and bokorensis look alike and occur in the same region, Holden is actually rarer of the two species with only a few researchers actually capable of telling where to find the species. 


The Cambodian government is urging sexed-up citizens to stop playing with phallic-shaped flowers known as Nepenthes holdenii — saying the erotic-looking plants are at risk of extinction.

The Ministry of Environment issued the stern statement on Wednesday after a video showing several women picking the plants went viral on the internet.

Nepenthes holdenii is a tropical pitcher plant commonly found in the mountainous regions of western Cambodia. The flower — dubbed the “penis plant” due to its resemblance to an erect human phallus — has long been a protected species.

However, in recent years, locals and tourists have been pulling the frisky-looking flora from the ground at an increased rate and snapping selfies for social media.

The move has concerned officials, with the Ministry stating: “What they are doing is wrong and do not do it again in the future! Thank you for loving natural resources, but do not pick, [or] they will be ruined!”

Cambodia's Ministry of Environment has issued a statement ordering people to stop picking the Nepenthes holdenii — an endangered plant that bares strikingly resemblance to an erect human penis.
Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment has issued a statement ordering people to stop picking Nepenthes holdenii — an endangered plant that has a striking resemblance to an erect human penis.
One of the women in the viral video is seen holding up a handful of the suspicious-looking flowers, seemingly impressed with her haul.
One of the women in the viral video is seen holding up a handful of the suspicious-looking flowers, seemingly impressed with her haul.user
The Nepenthes holdenii is a carnivorous tropical pitcher plant commonly found in the mountain regions of western Cambodia.
Nepenthes holdenii is a carnivorous tropical pitcher plant commonly found in the mountainous regions of western Cambodia.

In the viral video which prompted the call-out from the Cambodian government, three scantily clad women are seen unearthing several of the endangered flowers for online clout. The video was reportedly filmed on Bokor Mountain in Kampot province.

In the minute-long clip, the group screams in delight as they happen upon several of the suspicious-looking plants.

One woman is subsequently seen smiling as she holds two of the phallic objects in her hands while cooing for the camera.

In the viral video, three three scantily-clad women are seen unearthing several of the endangered flowers for online clout.
In the viral video, three scantily clad women are seen unearthing several of the endangered flowers for online clout.user
One of the offending woman is pictured smiling as she holds two of the phallic objects in her hands and coos for the camera. No official complaint had been lodged against the gap pals who partook in the video.
One of the offending women is pictured smiling as she holds two of the phallic objects in her hands and coos for the camera. No official complaint had been lodged against the gal pals who partook in the video.user
The flower — dubbed the "penis plant" due to its resemblance to an erect human phallus — has long been a protected species.
The flower — dubbed the “penis plant” due to its resemblance to an erect human phallus — has long been a protected species.

Meanwhile, her kinky companion holds up a handful of the flowers, seemingly impressed with her haul.

At the end of the video, one of the women picks up a miniature Nepenthes holdenii, appearing to make a joke about small penises.

Her friend enters the frame and screws up her face in disdain, clearly unimpressed by the plant’s small size.

No official complaint had been lodged against the gal pals who partook in the video.

In recent years, locals and tourists have been pulling the endangered plants out of the ground to pose with them for photos shared on social media.
In recent years, locals and tourists have been pulling the endangered plants out of the ground to pose with them for photos shared on social media.

Nepenthes holdenii is not the only rare, phallic-shaped plant to have hit headlines this past year.

Last October, a 6-and-a-half-foot-tall plant known as the amorphophallus decus-silvae “penis plant” bloomed in Europe for the first time in almost 25 years.

The imposing plant — which looks like an erect penis —  flowered at the Hortus Botanicus in the Netherlands, with excited crowds flocking there to take in the phallic phenomenon.

Recommended Videos

Advertisements

You may also like

The beautiful majestic Giant Sequoias, the largest living things standing on the planet Baffling Discovery: Fishermen Uncover Transparent ‘Alien-Like’ Organism Eva Green Flying Spiders: The Phenomenon of Ballooning Spiders..