Nepenthes pitopangii
Encyclopedia
Nepenthes pitopangii is a tropical pitcher plant
endemic to Lore Lindu National Park
in Central Sulawesi
, Indonesia
. Only a single plant of this species is known and efforts to locate further populations on surrounding mountains have so far been unsuccessful. Nepenthes pitopangii appears to be closely related to N. glabrata
.
veterinarian
, Jonathan Newman, during a birdwatching
expedition through Lore Lindu National Park in September 2006. Newman came across the plant "[w]hile trying to get closer to a roosting Diabolical Nightjar [Eurostopodus diabolicus]", and initially thought it was N. eymae
. The online publication of his trip report the following month brought the taxon
to the attention of botanists. Further habitat photographs of N. pitopangii were posted online in January 2008 by Alfindra Primaldhi, who found the plant independently, having not seen Newman's report.
In July 2007, Stewart McPherson
and Greg Bourke visited the plant and determined that it represented a previously unknown species. McPherson returned to the site with Ch'ien Lee
in April 2008 to make further observations of the plant in preparation for its formal description. During these field trips, McPherson climbed three mountains near to the type locality, but was unable to find any additional specimens of N. pitopangii.
The first detailed description of the species appeared in the second volume of McPherson's Pitcher Plants of the Old World
, printed in May 2009. The formal description of N. pitopangii was published in the October 2009 issue of the The Gardens' Bulletin Singapore. The holotype
of N. pitopangii, RP 2054, was collected by Rahmadanil Pitopang on May 30, 2007, from Lore Lindu National Park in Sulawesi
, Indonesia
. It is deposited at the Herbarium Celebense (CEB) of Tadulako University
. This collection by Pitopang, the curator of Herbarium Celebense, represents the earliest herbarium material of this species, which is named in his honour.
Due to the extreme rarity of N. pitopangii, its type locality was not disclosed in the formal description.
Leaves are sessile. The lamina (leaf blade) is linear to lanceolate and measures up to 15.6 cm in length by 3.4 cm in width. Its apex may be acute or obtuse and it is rounded at the base, clasping the stem for around half of its circumference. The lamina is green, while the midrib and tendril
range in colour from green to red.
During his field studies, Stewart McPherson
observed only four terrestrial pitchers of N. pitopangii and thus their description is based on a very small sample size. Rosette and lower pitchers are ovate and slightly swollen in the basal half of the pitcher cup, becoming approximately cylindrical towards the pitcher mouth and exhibiting a slight hip. They are very small, growing to only 6 cm in height by 3 cm in width. A pair of wings (≤6 mm wide) typically runs down the ventral surface of the pitcher cup, with fringe elements measuring up to 4 mm in length. The peristome
is cylindrical and up to 5 mm wide. It bears ribs up to 0.5 mm high and spaced up to 0.8 mm apart, which terminate in teeth up to 1.5 mm long. The pitcher lid or operculum
is elliptic or sub-orbicular and does not bear any appendages. It measures up to 3.5 cm in length by 3 cm in width. The structure of the spur, which is inserted near the base of the lid, is unknown.
The upper pitchers are even shorter than their terrestrial counterparts, growing to only 4.5 cm in height by 3.7 cm in width. They narrow markedly just below the pitcher orifice, giving them their distinctive inflated appearance. In aerial traps, the ventral wings are reduced to ribs. The peristome is cylindrical and measures up to 3 mm in width. It bears ribs up to 0.3 mm high and spaced up to 0.45 mm apart. Peristome teeth are completely absent in upper pitchers. On the inner surface of the pitcher cup, the digestive glands form a conspicuous band of black dots around the waterline of the pitcher fluid. Glands located elsewhere on the interior of the pitcher are yellow and far less prominent. This species does not appear to possess the highly viscous pitcher fluid of species such as N. inermis
. The lid is sub-orbicular and up to 2.9 cm long by 2.8 cm wide. As in lower pitchers, it lacks appendages. An unbranched spur up to 1.5 mm long is inserted near the base of the lid.
Nepenthes pitopangii has a racemose
inflorescence
measuring up to 37 cm in length by 2.5 cm in diameter. The peduncle
itself may be up to 18 cm long by 3 mm wide, whereas the rachis
is up to 20 cm long. The inflorescence bears one-flowered pedicels
(7–9 mm long), with the lowermost ones sometimes bearing a filiform bract
up to around 0.5 mm long. The elliptic tepal
s measure up to 2 mm in length. Androphores are 2.5–3 mm long. The female inflorescence and fruit
s of this species are unknown.
An indumentum
of silver-brown hairs (≤0.5 mm long) is present on developing pitchers and lower parts of the tendrils. The plant is otherwise glabrous.
, Central Sulawesi
, where it grows in a previously logged forest. It has been suggested that it established itself from a stray seed prior to the forest's regeneration, which would have presumably prevented further N. pitopangii plants from surviving past the seedling stage. Stewart McPherson
considers it "highly likely" that there are further, as yet undiscovered, populations of N. pitopangii in Central Sulawesi.
Nepenthes pitopangii is recorded from secondary lower montane forest situated at around 1800 m altitude. The only known specimen grows in shady conditions amongst tall shrub
s and its stems appear to flower frequently, although it is unknown whether this is a usual habit of N. pitopangii in general. The species is sympatric
with N. maxima
and N. tentaculata
, but no natural hybrids have been recorded.
Despite growing in a national park
, the future of the only known specimen of N. pitopangii is not secure. When McPherson returned to the type locality in 2008 (following his initial observations of N. pitopangii in the previous year), he found that the plant had been reduced to nearly half of its original size by plant collectors who had taken numerous cuttings in the intervening period.
, a highland species also endemic to Sulawesi
but not recorded from the local area. While the stem, laminae, and lower pitchers of these species are very similar, the markedly different upper pitcher morphology means that they are unlikely to be confused. The aerial pitchers of N. glabrata are far more elongated than those of N. pitopangii and have well-developed wings.
The upper pitchers of N. pitopangii may bear a superficial resemblance to those of N. eymae
, N. flava
, N. inermis
, N. jacquelineae
, N. talangensis
, N. tenuis
, and certain forms of N. maxima
. However, N. pitopangii may be distinguished from all of these species on the basis of its laminae, lower pitcher shape, and the size and shape of the lid, which lacks appendages.
Despite there being only one known specimen of N. pitopangii, the taxon
is not thought to be of hybridogenic origin. It is unlikely to be a natural hybrid involving N. glabrata since the closest known population of that species is more than 50 km from the type locality of N. pitopangii. The only other Nepenthes from Sulawesi
that produce infundibular upper pitchers are N. eymae and some forms of N. maxima. However, all recorded natural hybrids with these species exhibit petiolate leaves and typically have triangular lids with appendages on their lower surface.
Pitcher plant
Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants whose prey-trapping mechanism features a deep cavity filled with liquid known as a pitfall trap. It has been widely assumed that the various sorts of pitfall trap evolved from rolled leaves, with selection pressure favouring more deeply cupped leaves over...
endemic to Lore Lindu National Park
Lore Lindu National Park
Lore Lindu National Park is a forested protected area on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, in the province of Central Sulawesi. The area of the national park is 2,180 km² covering both lowland and montane forests. It provides habitat to numerous rare species, including 77 bird species...
in Central Sulawesi
Central Sulawesi
Central Sulawesi is a province of Indonesia located in the centre of Sulawesi. It was established on 13 April 1964....
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. Only a single plant of this species is known and efforts to locate further populations on surrounding mountains have so far been unsuccessful. Nepenthes pitopangii appears to be closely related to N. glabrata
Nepenthes glabrata
Nepenthes glabrata is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sulawesi. The species grows in open, high forest at elevations of 1600 to 2100 m. It produces dainty, colourful pitchers reaching only a few centimetres in height...
.
Botanical history
Nepenthes pitopangii was first discovered by BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
veterinarian
Veterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
, Jonathan Newman, during a birdwatching
Birdwatching
Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
expedition through Lore Lindu National Park in September 2006. Newman came across the plant "[w]hile trying to get closer to a roosting Diabolical Nightjar [Eurostopodus diabolicus]", and initially thought it was N. eymae
Nepenthes eymae
Nepenthes eymae is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sulawesi, where it grows at elevations of 1000–2000 m above sea level. It is very closely related to N. maxima, from which it differs in its wine glass-shaped upper pitchers....
. The online publication of his trip report the following month brought the taxon
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...
to the attention of botanists. Further habitat photographs of N. pitopangii were posted online in January 2008 by Alfindra Primaldhi, who found the plant independently, having not seen Newman's report.
In July 2007, Stewart McPherson
Stewart McPherson (geographer)
Stewart R. McPherson is a British geographer.He studied at the University of Durham in England, the University of Tübingen in Germany and Yale University in the United States....
and Greg Bourke visited the plant and determined that it represented a previously unknown species. McPherson returned to the site with Ch'ien Lee
Ch'ien Lee
Ch'ien C. Lee is a photographer and botanist specialising in the carnivorous plant genus Nepenthes. Lee has described several new Nepenthes species, including N. chaniana, N. gantungensis, N. glandulifera, N. jamban, N. lingulata, N. palawanensis, N. pitopangii,...
in April 2008 to make further observations of the plant in preparation for its formal description. During these field trips, McPherson climbed three mountains near to the type locality, but was unable to find any additional specimens of N. pitopangii.
The first detailed description of the species appeared in the second volume of McPherson's Pitcher Plants of the Old World
Pitcher Plants of the Old World
Pitcher Plants of the Old World is a two-volume monograph by Stewart McPherson on the pitcher plants of the genera Nepenthes and Cephalotus. It was published in May 2009 by Redfern Natural History Productions...
, printed in May 2009. The formal description of N. pitopangii was published in the October 2009 issue of the The Gardens' Bulletin Singapore. The holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
of N. pitopangii, RP 2054, was collected by Rahmadanil Pitopang on May 30, 2007, from Lore Lindu National Park in Sulawesi
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It is deposited at the Herbarium Celebense (CEB) of Tadulako University
Tadulako University
Tadulako University is currently the only public university in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. It was established on May 1, 1981 after being an affiliate of Hasanuddin University of Makassar for several years...
. This collection by Pitopang, the curator of Herbarium Celebense, represents the earliest herbarium material of this species, which is named in his honour.
Due to the extreme rarity of N. pitopangii, its type locality was not disclosed in the formal description.
Description
The only known individual of this species is a large male plant with numerous branched stems reaching up to 2 m in length. All of the stems are united by a single rootstock. The stem is dark red to purple, with numerous tiny green spots.Leaves are sessile. The lamina (leaf blade) is linear to lanceolate and measures up to 15.6 cm in length by 3.4 cm in width. Its apex may be acute or obtuse and it is rounded at the base, clasping the stem for around half of its circumference. The lamina is green, while the midrib and tendril
Tendril
In botany, a tendril is a specialized stem, leaf or petiole with a threadlike shape that is used by climbing plants for support, attachment and cellular invasion by parasitic plants, generally by twining around suitable hosts. They do not have a lamina or blade, but they can photosynthesize...
range in colour from green to red.
During his field studies, Stewart McPherson
Stewart McPherson (geographer)
Stewart R. McPherson is a British geographer.He studied at the University of Durham in England, the University of Tübingen in Germany and Yale University in the United States....
observed only four terrestrial pitchers of N. pitopangii and thus their description is based on a very small sample size. Rosette and lower pitchers are ovate and slightly swollen in the basal half of the pitcher cup, becoming approximately cylindrical towards the pitcher mouth and exhibiting a slight hip. They are very small, growing to only 6 cm in height by 3 cm in width. A pair of wings (≤6 mm wide) typically runs down the ventral surface of the pitcher cup, with fringe elements measuring up to 4 mm in length. The peristome
Peristome
The word peristome is derived from the Greek peri, meaning 'around' or 'about', and stoma, 'mouth'. It is a term used to describe various anatomical features that surround an opening to an organ or structure. The term is used in plants and invertebrate animals, such as in describing the shells of...
is cylindrical and up to 5 mm wide. It bears ribs up to 0.5 mm high and spaced up to 0.8 mm apart, which terminate in teeth up to 1.5 mm long. The pitcher lid or operculum
Operculum (botany)
An operculum, in botany, is a term generally used to describe a structure within a plant, moss, or fungus acting as a cap, flap, or lid. In plants, it may also be called a bud cap.Examples of structures identified as opercula include:...
is elliptic or sub-orbicular and does not bear any appendages. It measures up to 3.5 cm in length by 3 cm in width. The structure of the spur, which is inserted near the base of the lid, is unknown.
The upper pitchers are even shorter than their terrestrial counterparts, growing to only 4.5 cm in height by 3.7 cm in width. They narrow markedly just below the pitcher orifice, giving them their distinctive inflated appearance. In aerial traps, the ventral wings are reduced to ribs. The peristome is cylindrical and measures up to 3 mm in width. It bears ribs up to 0.3 mm high and spaced up to 0.45 mm apart. Peristome teeth are completely absent in upper pitchers. On the inner surface of the pitcher cup, the digestive glands form a conspicuous band of black dots around the waterline of the pitcher fluid. Glands located elsewhere on the interior of the pitcher are yellow and far less prominent. This species does not appear to possess the highly viscous pitcher fluid of species such as 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....
. The lid is sub-orbicular and up to 2.9 cm long by 2.8 cm wide. As in lower pitchers, it lacks appendages. An unbranched spur up to 1.5 mm long is inserted near the base of the lid.
Nepenthes pitopangii has a racemose
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
measuring up to 37 cm in length by 2.5 cm in diameter. The peduncle
Peduncle (botany)
In botany, a peduncle is a stem supporting an inflorescence, or after fecundation, an infructescence.The peduncle is a stem, usually green and without leaves, though sometimes colored or supporting small leaves...
itself may be up to 18 cm long by 3 mm wide, whereas the rachis
Rachis
Rachis is a biological term for a main axis or "shaft".-In zoology:In vertebrates a rachis can refer to the series of articulated vertebrae, which encase the spinal cord. In this case the rachis usually form the supporting axis of the body and is then called the spine or vertebral column...
is up to 20 cm long. The inflorescence bears one-flowered pedicels
Pedicel (botany)
A pedicel is a stem that attaches single flowers to the main stem of the inflorescence. It is the branches or stalks that hold each flower in an inflorescence that contains more than one flower....
(7–9 mm long), with the lowermost ones sometimes bearing a filiform bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
up to around 0.5 mm long. The elliptic tepal
Tepal
Tepals are elements of the perianth, or outer part of a flower, which include the petals or sepals. The term tepal is more often applied specifically when all segments of the perianth are of similar shape and color, or undifferentiated, which is called perigone...
s measure up to 2 mm in length. Androphores are 2.5–3 mm long. The female inflorescence and fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s of this species are unknown.
An indumentum
Indumentum
The indumentum is a covering of fine hairs or bristles on a plant or insect.In plants, the indumentum types are:*pubescent*hirsute*pilose*villous*tomentose*stellate*scabrous*scurfy...
of silver-brown hairs (≤0.5 mm long) is present on developing pitchers and lower parts of the tendrils. The plant is otherwise glabrous.
Ecology
Nepenthes pitopangii is known from just one individual at a remote locality in Lore Lindu National ParkLore Lindu National Park
Lore Lindu National Park is a forested protected area on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, in the province of Central Sulawesi. The area of the national park is 2,180 km² covering both lowland and montane forests. It provides habitat to numerous rare species, including 77 bird species...
, Central Sulawesi
Central Sulawesi
Central Sulawesi is a province of Indonesia located in the centre of Sulawesi. It was established on 13 April 1964....
, where it grows in a previously logged forest. It has been suggested that it established itself from a stray seed prior to the forest's regeneration, which would have presumably prevented further N. pitopangii plants from surviving past the seedling stage. Stewart McPherson
Stewart McPherson (geographer)
Stewart R. McPherson is a British geographer.He studied at the University of Durham in England, the University of Tübingen in Germany and Yale University in the United States....
considers it "highly likely" that there are further, as yet undiscovered, populations of N. pitopangii in Central Sulawesi.
Nepenthes pitopangii is recorded from secondary lower montane forest situated at around 1800 m altitude. The only known specimen grows in shady conditions amongst tall shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s and its stems appear to flower frequently, although it is unknown whether this is a usual habit of N. pitopangii in general. The species is sympatric
Sympatry
In biology, two species or populations are considered sympatric when they exist in the same geographic area and thus regularly encounter one another. An initially-interbreeding population that splits into two or more distinct species sharing a common range exemplifies sympatric speciation...
with 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....
and 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...
, but no natural hybrids have been recorded.
Despite growing in a national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
, the future of the only known specimen of N. pitopangii is not secure. When McPherson returned to the type locality in 2008 (following his initial observations of N. pitopangii in the previous year), he found that the plant had been reduced to nearly half of its original size by plant collectors who had taken numerous cuttings in the intervening period.
Related species
Nepenthes pitopangii appears to be most closely related to N.glabrataNepenthes glabrata
Nepenthes glabrata is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sulawesi. The species grows in open, high forest at elevations of 1600 to 2100 m. It produces dainty, colourful pitchers reaching only a few centimetres in height...
, a highland species also endemic to Sulawesi
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
but not recorded from the local area. While the stem, laminae, and lower pitchers of these species are very similar, the markedly different upper pitcher morphology means that they are unlikely to be confused. The aerial pitchers of N. glabrata are far more elongated than those of N. pitopangii and have well-developed wings.
The upper pitchers of N. pitopangii may bear a superficial resemblance to those of N. eymae
Nepenthes eymae
Nepenthes eymae is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sulawesi, where it grows at elevations of 1000–2000 m above sea level. It is very closely related to N. maxima, from which it differs in its wine glass-shaped upper pitchers....
, N. flava
Nepenthes flava
Nepenthes flava is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to northern Sumatra, where it grows in montane forest at 1800–2200 m above sea level....
, 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....
, 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:...
, 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....
, 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...
, and certain forms of 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....
. However, N. pitopangii may be distinguished from all of these species on the basis of its laminae, lower pitcher shape, and the size and shape of the lid, which lacks appendages.
Despite there being only one known specimen of N. pitopangii, the taxon
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...
is not thought to be of hybridogenic origin. It is unlikely to be a natural hybrid involving N. glabrata since the closest known population of that species is more than 50 km from the type locality of N. pitopangii. The only other Nepenthes from Sulawesi
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
that produce infundibular upper pitchers are N. eymae and some forms of N. maxima. However, all recorded natural hybrids with these species exhibit petiolate leaves and typically have triangular lids with appendages on their lower surface.