Nepenthes of Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia
Encyclopedia
Nepenthes of Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia is a monograph
by Charles Clarke
on the tropical pitcher plants
of Sumatra
, Peninsular Malaysia
, and their minor surrounding islands. It was published in 2001 by Natural History Publications (Borneo)
. Clarke described it as "intermediate between an ecological monograph and a taxonomic one".
The work was conceived in late 1997 and represents the culmination of 3 years of intensive research that included 15 field trips and numerous herbarium visits. The project encountered a number of difficulties and setbacks, including a "severe drought" in 1997 and political unrest in the following two years. Of the species covered in the book, Clarke observed all but three in the field. Nepenthes lavicola
could not be reached due to the prevailing political situation in parts of Aceh
, whereas N. tenuis
had not been relocated in the wild at the time. What Clarke called N. gracillima
was also not seen by him in the field; this taxon is now known as N. alba
.
The book describes and illustrates 34 species in detail. A further two "undescribed and incompletely diagnosed taxa" are included: Nepenthes species A (later described as N. rigidifolia
) and Nepenthes species B (later described as N. izumiae
). Three "little known taxa" are also covered: N. alata
(which is shown to be absent from the region), N. beccariana
, and N. junghuhnii
. The monograph also provides brief descriptions of 18 selected natural hybrids.
Clarke reversed several of the taxonomic revisions made in Matthew Jebb
and Martin Cheek
's 1997 monograph, "A skeletal revision of Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae)
". Specifically, N. longifolia
, N. talangensis
, and N. tenuis
were restored to species status, while N. pectinata was reduced to a heterotypic synonym of N. gymnamphora
. In addition, N. jacquelineae
, named after Clarke's wife, was described as a new species. Clarke also interpreted N. pyriformis
(formally described
in 2001) as a natural hybrid between N. inermis
and N. talangensis
.
Taxonomist Jan Schlauer reviewed Nepenthes of Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia in the March 2002 issue of the Carnivorous Plant Newsletter
.
Schlauer also wrote that "there are almost no obvious mistakes in the text" and praised the publication for its treatment of "highly controversial taxonomic issues [...] in a diplomatic yet explicit way".
In a literature review for the December 2001 issue of the Bulletin of the Australian Carnivorous Plant Society
, Robert Gibson wrote:
Nepenthes of Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia was also reviewed by Ivo Koudela in a 2002 issue of Trifid
.
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 Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
, and their minor surrounding islands. It was published in 2001 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...
. Clarke described it as "intermediate between an ecological monograph and a taxonomic one".
The work was conceived in late 1997 and represents the culmination of 3 years of intensive research that included 15 field trips and numerous herbarium visits. The project encountered a number of difficulties and setbacks, including a "severe drought" in 1997 and political unrest in the following two years. Of the species covered in the book, Clarke observed all but three in the field. Nepenthes lavicola
Nepenthes lavicola
Nepenthes lavicola is a tropical pitcher plant species endemic to northern Sumatra. It is thought to be most closely related to N. singalana and N. spectabilis....
could not be reached due to the prevailing political situation in parts of Aceh
Aceh
Aceh is a special region of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh , Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam and Aceh . Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin...
, whereas N. tenuis
Nepenthes tenuis
Nepenthes tenuis is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sumatra. The species was first collected in 1957, from a remote mountain in the western part of the island. It remained undescribed until 1994, and was only rediscovered in the wild in 2002. Prior to this, N...
had not been relocated in the wild at the time. What Clarke called N. gracillima
Nepenthes gracillima
Nepenthes gracillima is a highland Nepenthes pitcher plant species, native to Peninsular Malaysia.-Infraspecific taxa:*Nepenthes gracillima f. ramispina Hort.Westphal [=N. ramispina]...
was also not seen by him in the field; this taxon is now known as N. alba
Nepenthes alba
Nepenthes alba is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Peninsular Malaysia. The specific epithet alba is derived from the Latin word albus, meaning "white", and refers to the colour of the upper pitchers.-Natural hybrids:...
.
The book describes and illustrates 34 species in detail. A further two "undescribed and incompletely diagnosed taxa" are included: Nepenthes species A (later described as N. rigidifolia
Nepenthes rigidifolia
Nepenthes rigidifolia is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sumatra, where it grows at elevations of 1000–1600 m above sea level.The specific epithet rigidifolia is formed from the Latin words rigidus and folia . It refers to the stiff, coriaceous texture of the leaf blade...
) and Nepenthes species B (later described as N. izumiae
Nepenthes izumiae
Nepenthes izumiae is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sumatra, where it grows in montane forest at 1700–1900 m above sea level. It appears to be most closely related to N. lingulata and N...
). Three "little known taxa" are also covered: 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....
(which is shown to be absent from the region), N. beccariana
Nepenthes beccariana
Nepenthes beccariana is a tropical pitcher plant. The species was described in 1908 by John Muirhead Macfarlane based on a specimen collected from the island of Nias, which lies off the western coast of Sumatra...
, and N. junghuhnii
Nepenthes junghuhnii
Nepenthes junghuhnii is a tropical pitcher plant belonging to the genus Nepenthes. This species has been the source of much confusion since its discovery. The taxon originally named N. junghuhnii by John Muirhead Macfarlane has never been formally published...
. The monograph also provides brief descriptions of 18 selected natural hybrids.
Clarke reversed several of the taxonomic revisions made in 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...
". Specifically, N. longifolia
Nepenthes longifolia
Nepenthes longifolia is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sumatra, where it grows at elevations of between 300 and 1100 m above sea level. The specific epithet longifolia, formed from the Latin words longus and folius , refers to the exceptionally large leaves of this species.-Botanical...
, N. talangensis
Nepenthes talangensis
Nepenthes talangensis is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sumatra, where it grows in upper montane forest at elevations of 1800–2500 m above sea level....
, and N. tenuis
Nepenthes tenuis
Nepenthes tenuis is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sumatra. The species was first collected in 1957, from a remote mountain in the western part of the island. It remained undescribed until 1994, and was only rediscovered in the wild in 2002. Prior to this, N...
were restored to species status, while N. pectinata was reduced to a heterotypic synonym of 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....
. In addition, N. jacquelineae
Nepenthes jacquelineae
Nepenthes jacquelineae is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sumatra. Due to its unique pitcher morphology, it is considered to be one of the most spectacular Nepenthes species native to the island.-Botanical history:...
, named after Clarke's wife, was described as a new species. Clarke also interpreted N. pyriformis
Nepenthes × pyriformis
Nepenthes × pyriformis is a natural hybrid involving N. inermis and N. talangensis. It is known only from Mount Talang in Sumatra, to which N. talangensis is endemic. Nepenthes talangensis was only described as a distinct species in 1994. Prior to this it was placed within N. bongso and some...
(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...
in 2001) as a natural hybrid between N. inermis
Nepenthes inermis
Nepenthes inermis is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sumatra. The specific epithet inermis is Latin for "unarmed" and probably refers to the upper pitchers of this species, which are unique in that they completely lack a peristome....
and N. talangensis
Nepenthes talangensis
Nepenthes talangensis is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sumatra, where it grows in upper montane forest at elevations of 1800–2500 m above sea level....
.
Taxonomist Jan Schlauer reviewed Nepenthes of Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia in the March 2002 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:...
.
The author has achieved a remarkable goal, viz. to study almost all species of Nepenthes occurring in the title area in situ, to review their taxonomy, to gather new insights in their ecology, and to present all this valuable information in a concise but entertaining form, accompanied by pictures of unprecedented quality and beauty.
Schlauer also wrote that "there are almost no obvious mistakes in the text" and praised the publication for its treatment of "highly controversial taxonomic issues [...] in a diplomatic yet explicit way".
In a literature review for the December 2001 issue of the Bulletin of the Australian Carnivorous Plant Society
Bulletin of the Australian Carnivorous Plant Society
The Bulletin of the Australian Carnivorous Plant Society was a quarterly periodical and the official publication of the Australian Carnivorous Plant Society. Established in April 1982 as Bulletin / South Australian Carnivorous Plant Society, it continued publication until 2003...
, Robert Gibson wrote:
In conclusion, this book blends ecology and taxonomy together with abundant eye catching photos and thoughtful text. It therefore has appeal to natural history scientists as well as carnivorous plant enthusiasts. It sets a higher standard for carnivorous plant publications and fills a significant gap in published information on a centre of diversity for a large (both in stature and number of taxa) carnivorous plant.
Nepenthes of Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia was also reviewed by Ivo Koudela in a 2002 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...
.