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‘Titan’s penis’ is set to appear in Copenhagen

The huge phallic-shaped Amorphophallus Titanum can go as long as 15 years without blooming, but the one at the Botanical Gardens of Copenhagen is ready to make its second appearance in just two years.

'Titan's penis' is set to appear in Copenhagen
Copenhagen last got a glimpse at "Titan's Penis" when it bloomed at the Botanical Gardens in 2012. Photo: Jens Nørgaard Larsen/Scanpix
A rare giant penis is just days away from making a very public appearance in Copenhagen, but it may not be what you think. 
 
The giant flower Amorphophallus Titanum, or “Titan’s Penis”, is on the verge of blooming at the Botanical Gardens of Copenhagen. The huge phallic-shaped plant, which is currently growing at a clip of over 10cm per day, typically lays dormant for as long as 15 years at a time, but this one must like the (ahem) exposure, as it last bloomed just two years ago. 
 
It is expected to bloom on or around July 9 and this time around it should be even bigger than its last appearance. The Botanical Gardens said on Tuesday that it had grown 13cm in a single day and is expected to reach a height of up to 1.8 metres. 
 
That could cause some (flower) penis envy over in Nantes, France. The Amorphophallus Titanum on display there stands at 1.6 metres. But perhaps proving once and for all that size doesn’t really matter, The Local France reports that visitors are lined up around the block to view Copenhagen’s French cousin. 
 
Amorphophallus Titanum is native to the rain forests of Indonesia. Aside from its distinctive penis appearance is also known for its death-like stench, which has also earned it the moniker "The Corpse Flower"
 
The flower is normally only in bloom for one to two days before wilting again. The Botanical Gardens are free to visit and open to the public everyday between 10am and 3pm. 

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UNESCO

Sewage washes ashore at Norway’s prehistoric World Heritage site

Faeces, toilet paper, wet wipes and cotton earbuds were among the sewage littered around the UNESCO site of the pre-historic rock art in Alta, northern Norway.

Sewage washes ashore at Norway's prehistoric World Heritage site
Prehistoric rock art at Alta, Norway.Andrew Arch/Flickr

The waste at the site of the petroglyphs, or rock carvings in the Alta Fjord, near the Arctic circle was discovered during a beach cleaning day.

“When we followed the path down, we quickly saw that something was wrong. When we looked a little closer, we saw that were was faeces, wet wipes, Q-tips and tampons there,” Line Mårvik Pettersen told state broadcaster NRK.

“It didn’t smell. So, it clearly had been there for a while,” She added.

The sewage was lodged in seaweed that washed ashore.

There was a similar problem in 2011 when a sewage pipe in the same area became clogged; it is unclear what the cause of the problem is this time around.

“So far, we have not received clarity as to what the reason is,” Magne Opgåard said.

READ ALSO: Europe’s highest sea cliff amongst beauty spots which could become Norway’s new national parks 

The rock carvings date back to between 2,000 and 7,000 years ago and represent the only prehistoric monument in Norway. 

They were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985. The World Heritage site consists of four areas in Alta with petroglyphs. These are Hjemmeluft, Kåfjord and Amtamannsnes and Stortstein.

“We are a world heritage area, and our world heritage is one of the most beautiful things we have. This is Alta’s face to the outside world, so it’s clear that it’s very unfortunate that you get sewage washing up in such a nice area,” Anita Taipo, department head at the Alta Museum, said.

“Had this happened in the middle of the season in 2019, where we have up to 1,000 visitors in one day, it is clear that it would not have been fun to show this,” she added.

Work is underway in Alta to clear the roads of snow so the equipment needed to investigate the problem can be transported to the site.

The municipality will then clear up the affected areas.

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