Nepenthes of Mount Kinabalu
Encyclopedia
Nepenthes of Mount Kinabalu is a monograph
by Shigeo Kurata
on the tropical pitcher plants
of Mount Kinabalu
and the surrounding area of Kinabalu National Park
in Sabah
, Borneo
. It was published in 1976 by Sabah National Parks Trustees as the second booklet of the Sabah National Parks series. The monograph is Kurata's most important work on Nepenthes and significantly contributed to popular interest in these plants. In the book's preface
, Kurata writes:
The book's coverage was mostly restricted to the southern slopes of Mount Kinabalu, as the rest of the mountain remained largely unexplored at the time.
Kurata recognised 16 species from Mount Kinabalu: N. alata
(now known to be endemic to the Philippines
), N. ampullaria
, N. bicalcarata
, N. burbidgeae
, N. edwardsiana
, N. fusca
, N. gracilis
, N. lowii
, N. mirabilis
, N. rafflesiana
, N. rajah
, N. reinwardtiana
, N. stenophylla
, N. tentaculata
, N. villosa
, and an undescribed species ("Nepenthes sp."; later described as N. macrovulgaris
). Several of these species had not been reported from Kinabalu National Park at the time, but were expected to be found there due to their presence in surrounding areas. Three named natural hybrids were also covered in detail: N. × harryana, N. × hookeriana, and N. × kinabaluensis, the last of which was named by Kurata for the first time in the book. Nepenthes of Mount Kinabalu also made one of the earliest mentions of N. hamata
(under the name N. dentata), a species that would be formally described
8 years after the book's publication.
Nepenthes of Mount Kinabalu was reviewed by Donna Scott in a 1984 issue of the Victorian Carnivorous Plant Society Journal
.
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 Shigeo Kurata
Shigeo Kurata
is a Japanese botanist and Nepenthes taxonomist whose work in the 1960s and 1970s contributed much to the current popularity of these plants. Of particular note is his 1976 guide, Nepenthes of Mount Kinabalu....
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 Mount Kinabalu
Mount Kinabalu
Mount Kinabalu is a prominent mountain on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is located in the East Malaysian state of Sabah and is protected as Kinabalu National Park, a World Heritage Site. Kinabalu is the tallest peak in Borneo's Crocker Range and is the tallest mountain in the Malay...
and the surrounding area of Kinabalu National Park
Kinabalu National Park
Kinabalu National Park or Taman Negara Kinabalu in Malay, established as one of the first national parks of Malaysia in 1964, is Malaysia's first World Heritage Site designated by UNESCO in December 2000 for its "outstanding universal values" and the role as one of the most important biological...
in Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
, 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 published in 1976 by Sabah National Parks Trustees as the second booklet of the Sabah National Parks series. The monograph is Kurata's most important work on Nepenthes and significantly contributed to popular interest in these plants. 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...
, Kurata writes:
While Nepenthes were often enumerated as an important component of the flora of this mountain, a book on this genus—relating exclusively to Kinabalu had never been published to this date. With such a situation and the interest shown by visitors to the Kinabalu National Park in the genus, Mr. D.V. Jenkins, Assistant Director, Sabah National Parks was prompted to publish a guide book on the species found within the park and I was delighted to be asked to write the text.
The book's coverage was mostly restricted to the southern slopes of Mount Kinabalu, as the rest of the mountain remained largely unexplored at the time.
Kurata recognised 16 species from Mount Kinabalu: 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....
(now known to be endemic to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
), N. ampullaria
Nepenthes ampullaria
Nepenthes ampullaria , the Flask-Shaped Pitcher-Plant, is a very distinctive and widespread species of Nepenthes, present in Borneo, Sumatra, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, the Maluku Islands, and New Guinea...
, N. bicalcarata
Nepenthes bicalcarata
Nepenthes bicalcarata , also known as the Fanged Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to northwestern Borneo.-Botanical history:...
, N. burbidgeae
Nepenthes burbidgeae
Nepenthes burbidgeae , also known as the painted pitcher plant or Burbidge's Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant with a patchy distribution around Mount Kinabalu and neighbouring Mount Tambuyukon in Sabah, Borneo.-Botanical history:...
, N. edwardsiana
Nepenthes edwardsiana
Nepenthes edwardsiana , or the Splendid Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Mount Kinabalu and neighbouring Mount Tambuyukon in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo...
, 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....
, N. gracilis
Nepenthes gracilis
Nepenthes gracilis , or the Slender Pitcher-Plant, is a very common lowland pitcher plant that is widespread in the Sunda region. It has been recorded from Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, central Sulawesi, Sumatra, and southernmost Thailand...
, N. lowii
Nepenthes lowii
Nepenthes lowii , or Low's Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo. It is named after Hugh Low, who discovered it on Mount Kinabalu...
, N. mirabilis
Nepenthes mirabilis
Nepenthes mirabilis , or the Common Swamp Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical carnivorous plant species of the pitfall trap variety. It has by far the widest distribution of any Nepenthes species and is known from the following countries and regions: Borneo, Sumatra, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia,...
, 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...
, N. rajah
Nepenthes rajah
Nepenthes rajah is an insectivorous pitcher plant species of the Nepenthaceae family. It is endemic to Mount Kinabalu and neighbouring Mount Tambuyukon in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Nepenthes rajah grows exclusively on serpentine substrates, particularly in areas of seeping ground water where the...
, N. reinwardtiana
Nepenthes reinwardtiana
Nepenthes reinwardtiana , Reinwardt's Pitcher-Plant, is a Nepenthes species found on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Although some sources have included Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore within the range of this species, these records appear to be erroneous.Nepenthes reinwardtiana has an...
, N. stenophylla
Nepenthes stenophylla
Nepenthes stenophylla , or the Narrow-Leaved Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo. The species produces attractive funnel-shaped pitchers up to 25 cm high...
, N. tentaculata
Nepenthes tentaculata
Nepenthes tentaculata , or the Fringed Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant with a very wide distribution across Borneo and Sulawesi...
, N. villosa
Nepenthes villosa
Nepenthes villosa , or the Villose Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Mount Kinabalu and neighbouring Mount Tambuyukon in northeastern Borneo. It grows at higher altitudes than any other Bornean Nepenthes species, occurring at elevations of over 3200 m...
, and an undescribed species ("Nepenthes sp."; later described as N. macrovulgaris
Nepenthes macrovulgaris
Nepenthes macrovulgaris , or the Serpentine Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo. It is a lowland plant that typically grows at altitudes ranging from 300 to 1200 m in sub-montane forest clearings and mossy forest...
). Several of these species had not been reported from Kinabalu National Park at the time, but were expected to be found there due to their presence in surrounding areas. Three named natural hybrids were also covered in detail: N. × harryana, N. × hookeriana, and N. × kinabaluensis, the last of which was named by Kurata for the first time in the book. Nepenthes of Mount Kinabalu also made one of the earliest mentions of N. hamata
Nepenthes hamata
Nepenthes hamata is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sulawesi, where it grows at elevations of 1400–2500 m above sea level.The specific epithet hamata is derived from the Latin word hamatus, meaning "hooked"...
(under the name N. dentata), a species that would be formally described
Species description
A species description or type description is a formal description of a newly discovered species, usually in the form of a scientific paper. Its purpose is to give a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it differs from species which have been described previously, or are...
8 years after the book's publication.
Nepenthes of Mount Kinabalu was reviewed by Donna Scott in a 1984 issue of the Victorian Carnivorous Plant Society Journal
Victorian Carnivorous Plant Society Journal
The Victorian Carnivorous Plant Society Journal is a quarterly periodical and the official publication of the Victorian Carnivorous Plant Society of Australia. Typical articles include matters of horticultural interest, field reports, literature reviews, and plant descriptions. The journal was...
.