This Phallic-Looking Object Is Indeed A Real Plant Growing In the Philippines And Cambodia (Pics & Video)

Their appearance might be “fun”, but picking them would endanger the species’. This plant only grows in very remote areas in latitudes above 600 metres, so locating and snapping a picture with the pitcher plant has become a sort of challenge for some penis plant enthusiasts in Cambodia and Philippines. The plant was historically thought to only exist in the Cardamom Mountains, but in 2011 a new population was discovered further east.

So, the photos most probably show Nepenthes philippinensis, a tropical pitcher plant endemic to the Philippines. It is is found on Palawan and the neighbouring Calamian Islands (including Busuanga, Coron, and Culion) and Linapacan, where it grows at 0–600 metres (2,000 ft) above sea level. The plant plant becomes a bit less phallic-looking (as opposed to the phase that has been described as 'penile' by some commenters) once the pit trap is fully matured and the lid is opened. Then, the open trap fills with water to attract insects that fall into it, with the plant scavenging the nutrients in the decaying bodies, as described in a 1999 review of the genus' carnivorous behavior. So, if you explore and discover the mountains and of the Philippines, the chances are you will definitely recognize this plant, should you come across it – in either phase. Photo: Alastair Robinson