Nepenthes platychila

Nepenthes platychila

Synonymy

Nepenthes platychila Chi.C.Lee in Gard. Bull. Singapore 54(2): 257 (-261, fig. 1). 2002 sec. Lee 2002
    • Type (designated by Lee, C.C. 20021): Gunung Bukit Batu, Hose Mountains, Sarawak, 30 Nov 2001, C. Lee S 87071 (SAR)
  • 1. Lee, C.C. 2002: Nepenthes platychila (Nepenthaceae), a new species of pitcher plant from Sarawak, Borneo. – Gard. Bull. Singapore 54(2): 257-261

Description

Terrestrial or epiphytic climber to 4 m tall. Indumentum present on all parts, very dense on stems, tendrils, young pitchers and inflorescence, consisting of red-brown hairs 0.5-1 mm long, branched at the base; upper surface of leaf lamina fairly densely pubescent with short white stellate hairs 0.1-0.3 mm long. Climbing stems terete, 5-8 mm diam., internodes 6.5-8.5 cm long, axillary buds spike-like. Leaves of the climbing stems coriaceous, blade oblong-elliptic, 10.5-18 by 3.8-4.6 cm, dark greyish-green occasionally purple-green, upper pitchers light-green with abundant red streaks, peristome yellowish-green with numerous purple-red streaks of varying width, apex usually obtuse, occasionally sub-peltate, base clasping the stem for 1/2-2/3 its circumference and decurrent for more than half the internode, gradually attenuate into the winged petiole; longitudinal veins 2 or 3 on each side of the midrib, pennate veins reticulate and inconspicuous. Lower pitchers unknown. Upper pitchers narrowly infundibular in lower half, broadly infundibular in upper half; 12.5-16.5 by 5.1-6.5 cm; ventral ridges indistinct; mouth sub-orbicular to slightly ovate, horizontal in front and elevated towards lid; peristome flattened and expanded, to 3.3 cm wide, ribs indistinct; inner surface glandular throughout; spur inserted 1 mm from base of lid, 2 mm long; lid ovate or orbicular-ovate, rounded or slightly cordate at base, to 4.8 x 4.4 cm, lower surface without appendages, often slightly keeled in the basal part of the midrib, with scattered small crater-like glands most abundant on either side of the midrib. Bracts absent. Male inflorescence: peduncle 8 cm long, rachis 23 cm long; partial peduncles 2-flowered, to 4 mm below the branch, with each branch to 12 mm long; sepals ovate-elliptic, 3-4 mm long; staminal column 4-5 mm long. Female inflorescence not seen. Infructescence similar in structure to the male inflorescence, bearing up to c. 100 fruits; peduncle to 12.5 cm long, rachis to 16 cm long; mature fruits 3.5-4.5 cm long.A

Distribution (General)

Malaysia, Borneo, Sarawak, Kapit Division, Hose Mountains, Gunung Bukit Batu and Bukit Sindap. A

Habitat

Growing epiphytically in moss forest or terrestrially on steep sandstone slopes among Dicranopteris and Dipteris ferns, 900-1400 m a.s.l.A

Bibliography

A. Lee, C.C. 2002: Nepenthes platychila (Nepenthaceae), a new species of pitcher plant from Sarawak, Borneo. – Gard. Bull. Singapore 54(2): 257-261

Specimens

CountryDateCollector + collecting numberHerbariaTypeScanDerivatives
Gunung Bukit Batu, Hose Mountains, Sarawak, 30 Nov 2001, C. Lee S 87071 (SAR)
Citation: Gunung Bukit Batu, Hose Mountains, Sarawak, 30 Nov 2001, C. Lee S 87071 (SAR)