Nepenthes ampullaria
Synonymy
- Lectotype: Singapore, W. Jack s.n. (SING)
- =Nepenthes ampullacea, Suppl. Hort. Brit.: 593. 1850 syn. sec. Cheek & Jebb 2001
- –Nepenthes ampullacea, Sarawak: 69. 1848, nom. nud., syn. sec. Cheek & Jebb 2001
- =Nepenthes ampullaria var. vittata-major in Gard. Chron. 1872: 542. 1872 syn. sec. Cheek & Jebb 2001
Other sources
Nepenthes ampullaria var. vittata-major: André, E.-F. 1877: – Ill. Hort. 24: 45 (as Nepenthes ampullaria var. vittata-major)
Kurata, S. 1973: – Gard. Bull. Singapore 26(2): 227
Kurata, S. 1976: Nepenthes of Mt Kinabalu, Sabah: 34
Danser, B.H. 1928: – Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sér. 3, 9: 265
Phillipps, A. & Lamb, A.L. 1996: Pitcher Plants of Borneo: 67, f. 40
Shivas, R.G. 1984: Pitcher Plants of Peninsula Malaysia & Singapore: 27
Nepenthes ampullaria var. vittata in Ill. Hort. 24: 272. 1877: Beck von Mannagetta und Lerchenau, G. 1895: – Wiener Ill. Gart.-Zeitung 20: 150 (as Nepenthes ampullaria var. vittata in Ill. Hort. 24: 272. 1877)
Tamin, R. & Hotta, M. 1986 – In: Hotta, M., Diversity and Dynamics of Plant Life in Sumatra: 81
Jebb, M.H.P. 1991: An account of Nepenthes in New Guinea. – Science in New Guinea 17: 7-54: 21, f. 4 & 8
Clarke, C.M. 1997: Nepenthes of Borneo: 65, f. 40-43
Description
Terrestrial climber to 15 m tall, with many terrestrial and some aerial rosettes. Stem cylindrical, 1-1.5 cm diam., internodes 1.5-7 cm long. Leaves sessile or with a short, poorly defined petiole, blade thickly chartaceous, lanceolate to spathulate; rosette leaves 2-5 by 0.5 cm, climbing leaves c. 25 by 6 cm; apex acute, rarely acuminate, base attenuate, clasping the stem by 1/2 its circumference. Longitudinal nerves 3-5 on each side of the midrib, in the outer 1/3 or 1/2. Pennate nerves numerous, oblique, straight, nearly reaching the margin. Lower pitchers obliquely urceolate, semi-circular on dorsal side, almost flat ventrally, to 10 by 9 cm, with two fringed wings to 1.5 cm broad, the fringe elements 0.5-1 cm long, 0.2 mm apart; mouth oval, almost horizontal, straight; peristome flattened, to 1.5 cm wide, and sloping steeply inwards; lid narrowly oblanceolate, to 4 by 1.5 cm, apex rounded, base cuneate, lower surface lacking appendages, nectar glands extremely sparse, usually 6-12, sometimes absent, orbicular, broadly bordered, 0.4-0.5 mm diam., central pore c. 0.1 mm diam.; spur simple or branched, up to c. 10 mm long. Upper pitchers generally not developed, rudimentary, broadly infundibuliform, c. 2 by 2 cm. Male inflorescence a panicle to 40 by 4-5 cm; peduncle 2.5 cm long, 3 mm diam. at base; partial peduncles 8-12(-50) cm long, fasciculate at apex, (1-)3-6(-10)-flowered; bracts foliose, spathulate, 12-14 by 4-5 mm, inserted 0-2 mm from base of partial peduncles; pedicels 7-8 mm long; tepals broadly elliptic, 4-5 by 3-5 mm, androphore 3-5 mm long; anther head 2 by 1.5 mm. Indumentum densely velvety in young parts, under leaf blades, especially margins, on young pitchers and on the inflorescence; hairs red or brown, mostly simple, c. 0.3 mm long. Colour of pitchers usually green, deeply flecked with maroon, rarely entirely red, sometimes almost whitish yellow, with pale pink flecks, likewise the leaves of these pitchers may be a pale yellow-pink if buried beneath leaf litter; tepals green to yellow; indumentum deep red.A
Notes
The globular pitchers of N. ampullaria with their reflexed linear-oblong lids are not easily confused with any other species. The habit of this species is characteristic, with numerous rosettes sunken in the leaf litter or moss of the forest floor, and tall climbing stems which lack upper pitchers, though pitchers may be borne in rosettes arising from stems up to 2 m from the ground. Recently a few isolated cases of plants bearing upper pitchers have been reported in Brunei and Peninsular Malaysia. These are small, infundibuliform pitchers no more than 2 cm high, but extremely uncommon.
The species is apparently absent from the Moluccas and Sulawesi, but the eastern (New Guinea) and western (Thailand to Borneo) populations are morphologically indistinguishable.
Hybrids between this species and N. gracilis (N. trichocarpa) and N. rafflesiana (N. hookeriana) are widespread though scarce, and are treated in this account.A
The species is apparently absent from the Moluccas and Sulawesi, but the eastern (New Guinea) and western (Thailand to Borneo) populations are morphologically indistinguishable.
Hybrids between this species and N. gracilis (N. trichocarpa) and N. rafflesiana (N. hookeriana) are widespread though scarce, and are treated in this account.A
[Nomenclature of N. ampullaria Jack: IPNI (acc. 23 feb 2017; urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:603652-1) gives the protologue reference as "Desc. Malay. Pl. iii. [1823 ?] 23.". The (posthumous) publication in Comp. Bot. Mag. is supposed to be a reprint from the "Malayan miscellanies". Part 1 and 2 of the "Descriptions of Malayan Plants" can be found in Vol. 1 (1820) of that publication; an unnumbered subsequent part with the same title in Vol. 2 (1822). These two volumes are accessible on-line under https://books.google.de/books?id=fBYIAAAAQAAJ [acc. 24 Feb 2017]. Neither of them contains Nepenthes. See also note under N. rafflesiana.B
[Nomenclature of N. ampullaria f. vittata Beck:] Original entry in IPNI: "Nepenthes vittata hort. ex Beck, Wiener Ill. Gart.-Zeitung (April 1895) 150." Beck's text clearly states that this is a forma ("Formen der N. ampullaria: 1. vittata Hort.").B
Distribution (General)
Thailand, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, New Guinea.A
Habitat
Damp shady-forest, in Borneo swamp and kerangas forest, in New Guinea Araucaria forest, also in secondary forest, open microphyllous vegetation, or swamp grassland; sea level to 200(-2100) m.A
Specimens
| Country | Date | Collector + collecting number | Herbaria | Type | Scan | Derivatives | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore | Jack, W. s.n. | SING |  | ||||
| Citation: Singapore, W. Jack s.n. Specimen summary: SING Lectotype of Nepenthes ampullaria Jack | |||||||