Three women pull the plants from their roots and pose with them on Facebook (Photo: Reproduction/Facebook)
The Cambodian government last May 11 appealed to people to stop harvesting a rare carnivorous plant known as the penis plant because it resembles the shape of a human male genitalia.
The Facebook post from the country’s Environment Ministry shows images of three women pulling plants from their roots and posing with them. According to local newspaper Khmer Times, the photos were later shared on their social media.
Using the incident as an example, the institution appealed to residents of Bokor Mountain in the city of Kampot to leave the plant alone, as it would have a significant environmental impact in the area.
“Oh! Krolom Pong Flower. What are you doing wrong and please don’t do it again in the future! Thank you for loving nature, but don’t pick it lest we lose it,” the post reads.
The penis plant (Nepenthes bokorensis)
Nepenthes bokorensis, also known as the penis plant, is a carnivorous species typical of the mountains of southern Cambodia. They can grow up to 7 meters tall, feed on ants and insects, and are difficult for researchers to locate.
Botanical illustrator Franois Mey, one of the plant’s discoverers, said in an interview with website LiveScience that harvesting might seem like fun, but people need to be aware that this act endangers the plant’s survival.
“If people want to take selfies with the plants, that’s not a problem. Just don’t hold them or pull them out of the ground because you can weaken them, that’s how they feed,” he warned.
This plant species lives in nutrientpoor soil, supplements its diet with live insects, and uses nectar and sweet scent to attract prey.
Insects feed on the nectar around the mouth of the leaves of penis plants as they mature. When insects fall into this cavity, they drown in digestive juices and plants absorb their nutrients.
According to a 2021 study published in the Cambodian Journal of Natural History, the natural habitats of carnivorous plants in Cambodia have been declining due to agricultural expansion into protected areas and the growth of the tourism industry in protected areas.