Nepenthes leyte

Synonymy

Nepenthes leyte Jebb & Cheek in Eur. J. Taxon. 69: 17, fig. 4. 2013 [The specific epithet “leyte” is here used as a noun in apposition, to commemorate the island of that name, to which the species appears unique.B]. sec. Cheek & Jebb 2013

Type: PHILIPPINES. Eastern Visayas, Leyte, Mt Lobi, near Dagami, 7 Nov. 1999, Argent, Mendum, Fuentes, R., Belonias, B.S. 99214 (holotype K!; isotypes E!, PNH).

Content

Description

Terrestrial climber, height 2 m (probably), drying brown. Climbing stems subterete, 4–6 mm diam., with a slight ridge below the leaf bases; the axil with a shallow groove containing a spike-like bud 1–2 mm long, inserted 5–6 mm above the axil; internodes 3–7 cm long; surface with scattered redblack, depressed-globose, sessile raised glands 0.05–0.08 mm diam.; hairs absent, except in the axillary grooves which have white, moderately dense, basally branched hairs with arms erect, ca. 1 mm long. Rosette stems and leaves unknown. Leaves of climbing stems spirally inserted, thinly leathery; blade narrowly oblong-elliptic, 13.5–16 × 2.5–3.8 cm; apex acute, not peltate; base cuneate, abruptly decurrent to the petiole; longitudinal nerves 1 pair, moderately close to the margin, inconspicuous; pennate nerves numerous, conspicuously raised on both surfaces, more or less patent, irregular; both surfaces drying brown, subglossy above, matt below; midrib on both surfaces 5–10% covered with fine white-translucent simple or 3–5-armed stellate hairs, on the upper surface 0.2–0.3 mm diam., on the lower surface 0.1–0.2 mm diam., the leaf-blade otherwise glabrous, apart from sessile red-black glands as the stem, 0.05–0.1 mm diam., 2–6 per mm2. Petiole evenly winged along its length, the wings incurved (field notes); (2.5–)3–4.5 × 0.2–0.4 cm; clasping the stem for ½ its circumference, very shortly decurrent by 1–2 mm. Lower and intermediate pitchers unknown. Upper pitcher (tendril coiled) 12–15 × 4.5–5 cm; ovoid-ellipsoid in the lower half, upper half cylindrical, 3–3.5 cm diam., not constricted at any point; outer surface 10–30% covered in minute red stellate hairs, hairs ca. 0.1 mm diam., both sessile and shortly stalked, 4–6-armed, arms suberect or patent, density 3–5 per mm2, mixed with sessile red-black glands 0.05 mm diam. as the leaf-blade and stem, hairs denser on lid, and towards the peristome where they are mixed with sparse erect bushy-bristle hairs 0.2–0.3 mm long; “almost uniformly green with a few purple spots mainly on the ventricose base” (Argent et al. 99214); fringed wings are absent, reduced to inconspicuous ridges; mouth ovate, 4–4.5 × 3–3.5 cm, oblique, slightly concave, “glaucous green inside with just a few red spots”; peristome (1–)2–3(–5) mm wide, narrowly subcylindrical, rounded at the front, becoming slightly flattened and widest at the sides, towards the lid, ca. 4 ridges per mm, ridges 0.075–0.15 mm high, inner edge inconspicuous, holes and teeth not visible (unless dissected); outer edge not lobed; column weakly developed, ca. 7 × 3 mm. Lid ovate 3.2 × 2.9(–3.2) cm; apex shallowly retuse, the sinus 3–7 mm wide; base cordate, the sinus 4 mm deep, 8–15 mm wide; green; margin undulate; lower surface with convex basal appendage, 0.4–0.7 × 1–2 mm, arising from near the midpoint of the 5–6 × 0.5 mm long basal midline ridge; nectar glands slightly dimorphic, each with a different distribution: (type 1) moderately dense on the basal ridge and appendage and in a ca. 2 mm band each side (but not extending along midline), glands with raised borders, shortly elliptic, 0.1– 0.2(–0.3) mm long; (type 2) slightly larger, (0.1–)0.2–0.3 mm long, moderately dense, in bands 2–4 mm wide along the lid margins, 25–40 glands on each side, one sheet (atypical?) with a few additional large elliptic glands, 0.7 × 0.4 mm, bordered, very sparsely scattered between the margins; sessile red-black glands, as stem, leaf and outer pitcher surface, 0.005–0.01 mm diam., scattered over surface ca. 3 per mm2; marginal part of lower surface with a few minute stellate hairs. Spur inserted 2 mm below junction of lid and pitcher on ridge; simple, stout at base tapering to a long, acute apex; 7–9.5 × 0.5–0.7 mm; completely covered in long, grey appressed hairs, hairs (0.5–)0.7–1(–1.2) mm long. Upper surface of lid with two prominent nerves, nerves densely (80–90% cover) white hairy, hairs of two types: (1) basally 1–2-branched hairs 0.3–0.4 mm long, (2) minute 3–5-armed stellate hairs 0.1 mm diam.; remainder of lid surface with type (2) hairs, but indumentum 30–40% cover, and with sparse perithecoid nectar glands 0.25 mm long. Inflorescence and infructescence unknown.A

Conservation

Assessed as Critically Endangered under Criterion D of IUCN (2012).A

Distribution (General)

Philippines, Visayas, Leyte.A

Habitat

Volcanic geology; “climbing on fallen tree in submontane mossy forest”, elevation 900 m (Argent et al. 99214).A

Bibliography

A. Cheek, M. R. & Jebb, M. H. P. 2013: Recircumscription of the Nepenthes alata group (Caryophyllales: Nepenthaceae), in the Philippines, with four new species. – European Journal of Taxonomy 69

Specimens

	Country	Date	Collector + collecting number	Herbaria	Type	Scan	Derivatives
	PHILIPPINES. Eastern Visayas, Leyte, Mt Lobi, near Dagami, 7 Nov. 1999, Argent, Mendum, Fuentes, R., Belonias, B.S. 99214 (holotype K!; isotypes E!, PNH).
	Citation: PHILIPPINES. Eastern Visayas, Leyte, Mt Lobi, near Dagami, 7 Nov. 1999, Argent, Mendum, Fuentes, R., Belonias, B.S. 99214 (holotype K!; isotypes E!, PNH).