Nepenthes thorelii
Synonymy
Nepenthes thorelii in Notul. Syst. (Paris) 1: 63. 1909 [The specific epithet honours French botanist, Clovis Thorel, who collected the first herbarium specimen of this plant from Ti-tinh, Vietnam.C]. sec. Mey 2011
Description
Terrestrial shrub with large perennial rootstock producing annual shoots in the wet season. Rootstock irregularly branched to 2 cm thick. Stem erect, to 40 cm high, terete, 0.4---0.8 cm in diameter. Leaves linear lanceolate to narrowly obovate; 12-26 x 1.8-3 cm; apex acute to acurninate; base amplexicaul inserted atan acute angle, and decurrent to stem for 1-2.5 cm, ultimately rounded, these basal wings almost meeting on opposite side of stem; longitudinal veins 2-4 on each side of midrib, arising from along the midrib; pennate nerves numerous curving towards the apex. Lower pitchers ovoid; to 11.5 x 4.5 cm; wings broad, 5-8 mm, with fringe elements 2-5 mm, c. 2 mm apart; the mouth ovate-triangular, obligue, concave; peristome rounded at front, 2-4 mm across, towards lid to 7 mm across, ribs 0.25-0.4 mm apart, the inner margin with rounded teeth 0.2-0.5 mm long; spur simple, 2-4 mm; lid ovate to rounded, 2-3.5 x 2-2.8 cm, the glands prominently lipped, dense and numerous near base ofmidline, 0.3-0.7 mm across there, c. 0.15 mm across towards margin and not so dense. Upper pitcher borne on uncoiled tendril; obovate, narrowed to wards mouth; to 12.5 x 4.5 cm; wings narrow, 1-1.5 mm broad, with very sparse (3-7 mm apart) acuminate fringe elements 1-1.5 mm long; mouth obligue, concave; peristome rounded, 3-5 mm across, outer margin regularly sinuate; lid as in lower pitcher. Inflorescence a raceme; 8-18 cm long; borne on a tall erect rhachis 50-70 cm long; partial peduncles 1-flowered pedicels 3-6 mm long, with or without a short bract. Indumentum of simple or branched hairs 0.3-0.4 mm long. Colour of pitchers light green with reddish markings, lid reddish, indumentum white.A
Notes
There are problems with the delimitation of this species, N. anamensis and N. smilesii. All three species share narrow linear leaves with clasping leaf bases. The limits of variation of these two species is not yet understood, and N. anamensis may occupy similar habitats to N. thorelii. Nepenthes thorelii appears to be a plant of seasonally dry grassland, surviving as a dormant rootstock during the dry season when tires bum out the above ground vegetation. Besides its perennating habit, N. thorelii is characterised by the non-coiling tendrils of the upper pitchers, and its tall inflorescence, which rises over a metre above the ground.A
Distribution (General)
Vietnam, Tay Ninh ProvinceB
Habitat
Seasonally dry savannah grassland; sea level to 200 m.A