Nepenthes glabrata

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Nepenthes glabrata
Nepglabrata9.jpg
Two upper pitchers of Nepenthes glabrata
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Nepenthaceae
Genus: Nepenthes
Species:
N. glabrata
Binomial name
Nepenthes glabrata
Synonyms

Nepenthes glabrata /nɪˈpɛnθiːzɡlæˈbrɑːtə/ 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. These traps are red speckled on a yellowish background, giving them a "hand painted" appearance. [4]

The specific epithet glabrata is derived from the Latin word glaber, meaning "hairless", and refers to the mostly glabrous nature of this species.

Botanical history

As in the case of N. eymae and N. hamata , two formal descriptions of this species were published almost concurrently. The first, by Shigeo Kurata under the name N. rubromaculata, [3] was published on February 6, 1984, in the Journal of Insectivorous Plant Society . The second, by John R. Turnbull and Anne T. Middleton as N. glabratus, [2] was published four days later on February 10, in Reinwardtia. [5] Although Kurata's article was printed first, the name he used is a later homonym of a horticultural hybrid published in 1891 (N. × rubromaculata) and is thus a nomen illegitimum (illegitimate name). [5] [6] Nepenthes glabrata (emended with a feminine suffix) [7] is therefore the correct name for this species. [5] [8]

The holotype of N. glabrata, J.R.Turnbull & A.T.Middleton 83113a, was collected on August 31, 1983, from the Tri Tunggal Eboni Corp. logging concession ( 1°33′S120°55′E / 1.550°S 120.917°E / -1.550; 120.917 ) in Central Sulawesi at an altitude of 1666 m. [5] [6] In their description of the species, Turnbull and Middleton wrote that the specimen was deposited at Herbarium Bogoriense (BO), the herbarium of the Bogor Botanical Gardens, but Matthew Jebb and Martin Cheek were unable to locate it in 1995 and 1996, and write that it "may never have been distributed". [5]

The holotype of N. rubromaculata Sh.Kurata, Kurata, Atsumi & Komatsu 149a, was collected on November 9, 1983, from the route from Malei to Kajoga in Central Sulawesi. The type repository is not indicated in the description, but is likely to be the herbarium of the Nippon Dental College (NDC). [5] [6]

Soon after these descriptions were published, the authors introduced the species into cultivation. [9] Hobbyists distinguished two forms: "Palo Alto", which produces more compact pitchers and narrow leaves that turn purple under high light levels; and "Forestville", which has somewhat larger pitchers, particularly aerial ones. [9]

Description

Nepenthes glabrata is a climbing plant growing to a height of 13 m. [10] The stem is terete to slightly two-ridged and up to 3 mm in diameter. Internodes are up to 3 cm long. [5]

A young rosette plant Nepglabrata6.jpg
A young rosette plant

Leaves are chartaceous and sessile. The lamina (leaf blade) of young rosette plants is linear, while that of rosettes on mature plants may be greatly reduced to the point of being almost absent. [2] [4] On climbing stems, the lamina is narrowly oblong-ligulate to narrowly oblanceolate. It measures up to 12 cm in length by 3 cm in width. It has an acute apex with a slightly peltate tendril insertion. The lamina is shortly attenuate at the base, clasping the stem by approximately one-third to one-half of its circumference and may or may not become decurrent as a pair of very low ridges. One to three longitudinal veins are present on either side of the midrib. Pinnate veins are inconspicuous. [5]

Nepglabrata5.jpg
Nepglabrata7.jpg
A lower pitcher (left) and an upper pitcher (right)

Rosette and lower pitchers are small and globose. Upper pitchers are shortly cylindrical to slightly infundibular. They grow to 14 cm in height by 3 cm in width. The wings found in aerial pitchers are distinctive in that they are well developed (≤10 mm wide) but lack fringe elements. The pitcher mouth has an oblique insertion. The peristome is cylindrical and narrow, measuring only up to 2.5 mm in width. It bears very fine ribs (0.1 mm high) spaced 0.25–0.5 mm apart. Unusually, the inner margin of the peristome lacks teeth. The pitcher lid, or operculum, is suborbicular in shape and measures up to 2.8 cm in length by 3.1 cm in width. It has a rounded to truncate apex and a truncate base. The underside of the lid lacks appendages but bears scattered nectar glands up to 0.2 mm in diameter. It shows unusual palmate nervation, with the midrib branching and connecting to the lateral veins around 1 cm below the apex. An unbranched spur (≤5 mm long) is inserted near the base of the lid. [5]

Nepenthes glabrata has a racemose inflorescence measuring up to 20 cm in length, of which the peduncle makes up 7 cm. It bears around 55 one-flowered partial peduncles lacking bracts. The reddish-green flowers have oblong tepals up to 3 mm long and are borne on pedicels measuring up to 8 mm. [5]

Most parts of the plant are glabrous. The exceptions to this are the spur and the inflorescence, which bear an indumentum of simple white hairs around 0.2 mm long. [5]

A climbing plant in high forest Nepglabrata1.jpg
A climbing plant in high forest

Ecology

Nepenthes glabrata is endemic to Central Sulawesi, where it grows terrestrially in open, high forest. [5] It has an altitudinal distribution of 1600 to 2100 m above sea level. [10]

At one location, N. glabrata has been found growing alongside N. maxima and Drosera burmannii at 1600 m. [11] A putative natural hybrid with the former has been recorded.

Nepenthes glabrata is classified as Least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, based on an assessment carried out in 2015. [1]

Nepenthes glabrata belongs to what has been called the "N. tentaculata group" [5] or "Hamata group", [12] which also includes four other closely related species from Borneo and Sulawesi: N. hamata , N. muluensis , N. murudensis , and N. tentaculata . [12] More recently, N. nigra has joined this group of related taxa. [13]

In their 2001 monograph, Cheek and Jebb considered N. glabrata to be most closely allied to N. muluensis based on its atypical lid nervation as well as the size, shape, and pigmentation of its upper pitchers. [5] Currently, it appears that N. glabrata is most closely related to N. pitopangii , a highland species also endemic to Sulawesi. 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. pitopangii are far less elongated than those of N. glabrata and completely lack wings. [10]

Natural hybrids

A young plant of a putative natural hybrid between N. glabrata and N. maxima SulawesiNepenthes.jpg
A young plant of a putative natural hybrid between N. glabrata and N. maxima

Where their ranges overlap, N. glabrata is known to hybridise with N. hamata , [14] N. maxima , [10] N. nigra , [15] and N. tentaculata . [10] The hybrid plants are generally intermediate in appearance between their parent species.

Related Research Articles

<i>Nepenthes tentaculata</i> Species of pitcher plant from Southeast Asia

Nepenthes tentaculata, or the fringed pitcher-plant, is a tropical pitcher plant with a wide distribution across Borneo and Sulawesi. It grows at altitudes of 400–2550 m.

<i>Nepenthes hirsuta</i> Species of pitcher plant from Borneo

Nepenthes hirsuta, the hairy pitcher-plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo. It is characterised by an indumentum of thick brown hairs, which is even present on the inflorescence. Pitchers are mostly green throughout with some having red blotches on the inside surfaces.

<i>Nepenthes macrovulgaris</i> Tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo

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. Its range is restricted to ultramafic habitats, including Mount Kinabalu, Mount Tambuyukon, the Danum Valley, the Tawai Range, the Meliau Range and Mount Silam, all in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Pitchers grow to around 25 cm high and range in colour from green to brown, with the speckled form being the most common.

<i>Nepenthes hamata</i> Species of pitcher plant from Indonesia

Nepenthes hamata is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sulawesi, where it grows at elevations of 1400–2500 m above sea level.

<i>Nepenthes maxima</i> Tropical pitcher plant from New Guinea and surrounding islands

Nepenthes maxima, the great pitcher-plant, is a carnivorous pitcher plant species of the genus Nepenthes. It has a relatively wide distribution covering New Guinea, Sulawesi, and the Maluku Islands. It may also be present on Wowoni Island.

<i>Nepenthes murudensis</i> Tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo

Nepenthes murudensis, or the Murud pitcher-plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Mount Murud in Borneo, after which it is named. It is of putative hybrid origin: its two original parent species are thought to be N. reinwardtiana and N. tentaculata.

<i>Nepenthes faizaliana</i> Species of pitcher plant from Borneo

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.

<i>Nepenthes muluensis</i> Tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo

Nepenthes muluensis, or the Mulu pitcher-plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo. It grows in highland habitats at elevations of 1700 to 2400 m above sea level.

<i>Nepenthes adnata</i> Endangered species of pitcher plant from Sumatra

Nepenthes adnata is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to the Indonesian province of West Sumatra, where it grows at elevations of 600 to 1200 m above sea level. The specific epithet adnata is Latin for "broadly attached" and refers to the base of the lamina.

<i>Nepenthes bongso</i> Species of pitcher plant from Sumatra

Nepenthes bongso is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sumatra, where it has an altitudinal distribution of 1000–2700 m above sea level. The specific epithet bongso refers to the Indonesian legend of Putri Bungsu, the spirit guardian of Mount Marapi.

<i>Nepenthes eymae</i> Species of pitcher plant from Sulawesi

Nepenthes eymae is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sulawesi in Indonesia, where it grows at elevations of 1,000–2,000 m (3,300–6,600 ft) above sea level. It is very closely related to N. maxima, from which it differs in its wine glass-shaped upper pitchers.

<i>Nepenthes lamii</i> Species of carnivorous plant

Nepenthes lamii is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to New Guinea, where it grows at an altitude of up to 3520 m above sea level, higher than any other Nepenthes species. Although once confused with N. vieillardii and previously regarded as conspecific with the closely related N. monticola, it is now recognised as a distinct species.

<i>Nepenthes merrilliana</i> Tropical pitcher plant endemic to the Philippines

Nepenthes merrilliana is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to the Philippines. It produces some of the largest pitchers in the genus, rivalling those of N. rajah.

<i>Nepenthes danseri</i> Species of pitcher plant from Indonesia

Nepenthes danseri is a species of tropical pitcher plant. It is known only from the northern coast of Waigeo Island; plants from Halmahera, the largest of the Maluku Islands, are now recognised as belonging to a separate species, N. halmahera.

<i>Nepenthes talangensis</i> Species of pitcher plant from Sumatra

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.

<i>Nepenthes mikei</i> Tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sumatra

Nepenthes mikei is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sumatra. It is characterised by its black mottled lower and upper pitchers. The species is closely related to N. angasanensis and N. tobaica.

<i>Nepenthes thorelii</i> Species of pitcher plant from Indochina

Nepenthes thorelii is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Indochina. Very little is known about N. thorelii and it is unlikely to have entered cultivation, although various other taxa are often mislabelled as this species in the plant trade. Prior to its rediscovery in 2011, N. thorelii was considered possibly extinct, both in the wild and in cultivation.

<i>Nepenthes tomoriana</i> Species of pitcher plant from Sulawesi

Nepenthes tomoriana is a species of pitcher plant endemic to Sulawesi, where it grows at an elevation of 0–500 m above sea level.

<i>Nepenthes rhombicaulis</i> Species of pitcher plant from Sumatra

Nepenthes rhombicaulis is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sumatra. The specific epithet rhombicaulis is formed from the Latin words rhombicus, meaning "rhomboid", and caulis, "stem". It refers to the cross-sectional shape of the stem internodes.

Nepenthes maryae is a tropical pitcher plant native to Central Sulawesi province on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. It is known from a single herbarium specimen collected in 2000 on an undisclosed mountain at 2100 m above sea level, where the species grew in submontane mossy forest alongside N. eymae, N. nigra, and N. tentaculata. It is a member of section Tentaculatae, which also includes 8 other species from Borneo and Sulawesi: N. glabrata, N. hamata, N. muluensis, N. murudensis, N. nigra, N. pitopangii, N. tentaculata, and N. undulatifolia. Nepenthes maryae is distinguished from all other species in this group by the presence of short hairs on the lower surface of the pitcher lid and bracts on the majority of flowers.

References

  1. 1 2 Clarke, C.M. (2018). "Nepenthes glabrata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2018: e.T39662A143960231. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T39662A143960231.en . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Turnbull, J.R. & A.T. Middleton 1984. Three new Nepenthes from Sulawesi Tengah. Reinwardtia10(2): 107–111.
  3. 1 2 Kurata, S. 1984. New species of Nepenthes from Sulawesi, Indonesia. Journal of Insectivorous Plant Society 35(2): 41–44.
  4. 1 2 D'Amato, P. 1998. The Savage Garden: Cultivating Carnivorous Plants . Ten Speed Press, Berkeley.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Cheek, M.R. & M.H.P. Jebb 2001. Nepenthaceae. Flora Malesiana15: 1–157.
  6. 1 2 3 Schlauer, J. N.d. Nepenthes glabrata Archived 2011-06-17 at the Wayback Machine . Carnivorous Plant Database.
  7. ↑ Schlauer, J. 1994. NEPENTHES comments for Flora Malesiana. Carnivorous Plant Mailing List, September 9, 1994.
  8. ↑ Jebb, M.H.P. & M.R. Cheek 1997. A skeletal revision of Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae). Blumea42(1): 1–106.
  9. 1 2 D'Amato, P. 2000. Re: N. glabrata Archived 2011-07-25 at the Wayback Machine . Carnivorous Plant Mailing List, February 24, 2000.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 McPherson, S.R. 2009. Pitcher Plants of the Old World . 2 volumes. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole.
  11. ↑ Evans, D.P. 2009. New Cultivars: Nepenthes maxima ‘Lake Poso’. Carnivorous Plant Newsletter 38(1): 18–22.
  12. 1 2 Meimberg, H. & G. Heubl 2006. Introduction of a nuclear marker for phylogenetic analysis of Nepenthaceae. Plant Biology8(6): 831–840. doi : 10.1055/s-2006-924676
  13. ↑ Nerz, J., A. Wistuba, C.C. Lee, G. Bourke, U. Zimmermann & S. McPherson 2011. Nepenthes nigra, a new pitcher plant from Central Sulawesi. In: McPherson, S.R. New Nepenthes: Volume One . Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole. pp. 468–491.
  14. ↑ Lee, C.C. 2006. Sulawesi Photographs Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine . Carnivorous Plants in the tropics.
  15. ↑ McPherson, S.R. & A. Robinson 2012. Field Guide to the Pitcher Plants of Sulawesi . Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole.

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