Nepenthes of Borneo
Encyclopedia
Nepenthes of Borneo is a monograph
by Charles Clarke
on the tropical pitcher plants
of Borneo
. It was first published in 1997 by Natural History Publications (Borneo)
, and reprinted in 2006. Clarke describes it as "primarily an ecological monograph". In the book's preface
, Clarke writes:
The book describes and illustrates 31 species in detail. A further two "undescribed and incompletely diagnosed taxa" are included: Nepenthes sp. A (possibly a form of N. fusca
) and Nepenthes sp. B (later described as N. hurrelliana
). Six taxa
are also covered under "dubious species and erroneous records": N. alata
, N. gymnamphora
, N. macfarlanei
, and N. maxima
(which are all shown to be absent from the island); N. sp. "elegance" (which is shown to be a variety of N. rafflesiana
); and N. neglecta (which Clarke suggests is the natural hybrid between N. gracilis and N. mirabilis
). The monograph also provides brief descriptions of 16 selected natural hybrids.
The taxonomy presented in Nepenthes of Borneo almost wholly agrees with that of Matthew Jebb
and Martin Cheek
's 1997 monograph, "A skeletal revision of Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae)
". Clarke makes only two major revisions: restoring N. faizaliana
as a distinct species and sinking N. borneensis in synonymy with N. boschiana
.
Barry Meyers-Rice reviewed Nepenthes of Borneo in the December 1998 issue of the Carnivorous Plant Newsletter
. He described the work as a "good, solid book that treats its subject very well". Rice praised the publication's habitat photographs and wrote that the "[c]ontent that really makes this book interesting and different from other carnivorous plant books is its emphasis on the context of Nepenthes in its natural habitat".
Nepenthes of Borneo was also reviewed by Miroslav Holub and Zdeněk Žáček in a 1998 issue of Trifid
and Martin Spousta in a 2008 issue of Trifid Interinfo.
Monograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
by Charles Clarke
Charles Clarke (botanist)
Dr. Charles M. Clarke is a botanist and taxonomist specialising in the carnivorous plant genus Nepenthes. Clarke has an honours degree in Botany from Monash University in Melbourne, and a Ph.D. in Ecosystem Management at the University of New England, in Armidale, New South Wales.Clarke first...
on the tropical pitcher plants
Nepenthes
The Nepenthes , popularly known as tropical pitcher plants or monkey cups, are a genus of carnivorous plants in the monotypic family Nepenthaceae. The genus comprises roughly 130 species, numerous natural and many cultivated hybrids...
of Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
. It was first published in 1997 by Natural History Publications (Borneo)
Natural History Publications (Borneo)
Natural History Publications Sdn. Bhd. is a publishing house based in Kota Kinabalu, Borneo. It is among the leading English language and natural history publishers in Malaysia and the entire Southeast Asian region...
, and reprinted in 2006. Clarke describes it as "primarily an ecological monograph". In the book's preface
Preface
A preface is an introduction to a book or other literary work written by the work's author. An introductory essay written by a different person is a foreword and precedes an author's preface...
, Clarke writes:
My aim is to provide a balanced, first-hand account of the plants in an ecological context, partly based on the research I performed on them in Brunei in 1989 and 1990. This information is intended to complement the recent taxonomic revision of Nepenthes by M. Jebb and M. Cheek.
The book describes and illustrates 31 species in detail. A further two "undescribed and incompletely diagnosed taxa" are included: Nepenthes sp. A (possibly a form of N. fusca
Nepenthes fusca
Nepenthes fusca , or the Dusky Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo. It is found throughout a wide altitudinal range and is almost always epiphytic in nature, primarily growing in mossy forest....
) and Nepenthes sp. B (later described as N. hurrelliana
Nepenthes hurrelliana
Nepenthes hurrelliana is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo, where it has been recorded from northern Sarawak, southwestern Sabah, and Brunei. It is of putative hybrid origin; its two original parent species are thought to be N. fusca and N. veitchii...
). Six taxa
Taxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
are also covered under "dubious species and erroneous records": N. alata
Nepenthes alata
Nepenthes alata is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to the Philippines. It is found on all the major islands of the archipelago, with the possible exception of Palawan. It is one of the easiest and most popular Nepenthes species in cultivation....
, N. gymnamphora
Nepenthes gymnamphora
Nepenthes gymnamphora is a tropical pitcher plant native to the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra. There is much debate surrounding the taxonomic status of this species and the taxa N. pectinata and N. xiphioides....
, N. macfarlanei
Nepenthes macfarlanei
Nepenthes macfarlanei is a carnivorous pitcher plant species endemic to Peninsular Malaysia. It produces attractive red-speckled pitchers. Lower pitchers are ovoid to cylindrical and up to 20 cm high. The lower surface of the lid is densely covered with short, white hairs...
, and N. maxima
Nepenthes maxima
Nepenthes maxima , the Great Pitcher-Plant, is a carnivorous pitcher plant species of the genus Nepenthes. It has a relatively wide distribution covering Sulawesi, New Guinea, and the Maluku Islands. It is closely related to N. eymae....
(which are all shown to be absent from the island); N. sp. "elegance" (which is shown to be a variety of N. rafflesiana
Nepenthes rafflesiana
Nepenthes rafflesiana , or Raffles' Pitcher-Plant, is a species of pitcher plant. It has a very wide distribution covering Borneo, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, and Singapore. Nepenthes rafflesiana is extremely variable with numerous forms and varieties described. In Borneo alone, there are at...
); and N. neglecta (which Clarke suggests is the natural hybrid between N. gracilis and N. mirabilis
Nepenthes × sharifah-hapsahii
Nepenthes × sharifah-hapsahii is a natural hybrid between N. gracilis and N. mirabilis. It has been recorded from Borneo, Sumatra, and Peninsular Malaysia,...
). The monograph also provides brief descriptions of 16 selected natural hybrids.
The taxonomy presented in Nepenthes of Borneo almost wholly agrees with that of Matthew Jebb
Matthew Jebb
Dr. Matthew H. P. Jebb is an Irish taxonomist and botanist specialising in the ant plant genera Squamellaria, Myrmecodia, Hydnophytum, Myrmephytum and Anthorrhiza, as well as the carnivorous plant genus Nepenthes....
and Martin Cheek
Martin Cheek
Dr. Martin Roy Cheek is a taxonomist and botanist specialising in the carnivorous plant genus Nepenthes.-Research:Cheek has described several new Nepenthes species, mostly with Matthew Jebb, including: N. argentii, N. aristolochioides, N. danseri, N. diatas,...
's 1997 monograph, "A skeletal revision of Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae)
A skeletal revision of Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae)
"A skeletal revision of Nepenthes " is a monograph by Matthew Jebb and Martin Cheek on the tropical pitcher plants of the genus Nepenthes. It was published in the May 1997 issue of the botanical journal Blumea. The work represented the first revision of the entire genus since John Muirhead...
". Clarke makes only two major revisions: restoring N. faizaliana
Nepenthes faizaliana
Nepenthes faizaliana is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to the limestone cliffs of Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak, Borneo. It is thought to be most closely related to N. boschiana.-Botanical history:...
as a distinct species and sinking N. borneensis in synonymy with N. boschiana
Nepenthes boschiana
Nepenthes boschiana , or Bosch's Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo. It is most closely related to N. faizaliana. Nepenthes borneensis is considered a synonym of this species. Nepenthes boschiana has no known natural hybrids...
.
Barry Meyers-Rice reviewed Nepenthes of Borneo in the December 1998 issue of the Carnivorous Plant Newsletter
Carnivorous Plant Newsletter
The Carnivorous Plant Newsletter is the official publication of the International Carnivorous Plant Society , the largest such organization in the world.-History and editorship:...
. He described the work as a "good, solid book that treats its subject very well". Rice praised the publication's habitat photographs and wrote that the "[c]ontent that really makes this book interesting and different from other carnivorous plant books is its emphasis on the context of Nepenthes in its natural habitat".
Nepenthes of Borneo was also reviewed by Miroslav Holub and Zdeněk Žáček in a 1998 issue of Trifid
Trifid (journal)
Trifid is a quarterly Czech-language periodical and the official publication of Darwiniana, a carnivorous plant society based in the Czech Republic. Typical articles include matters of horticultural interest, field reports, and scientific studies. The journal was established in 1996. It is...
and Martin Spousta in a 2008 issue of Trifid Interinfo.