Nepenthes philippinensis

Nepenthes philippinensis is an addition to the N. hirsuta group (Jebb & Cheek in Blumea 42 (1997) 7), previously thought to be confined to Borneo and centred in the north-east of that island. Of the species in that group, N. philippinensis is most closely related to N. macrovulgaris, a species confined to Sabah and, like N. philippinensis, apparently restricted to ultramafic areas. The species of this group are all low altitude species (only N. macrovulgaris sometimes occurs above 1100 m) with a well-developed rosetted, non-climbing phase (in some species, e.g. N. hirsuta, the climbing stems usually have few, and rather diminutive upper pitchers compared with the lower pitchers of the rosettes). In all species of the N. hirsuta group, both lower and upper pitchers are ‘hipped’, i.e. with an ovoid base and a cylindrical apex; the upper pitchers are never infundibuliform. The pitchers have oblique mouths, held at 45° from the vertical, lack a column, and have a cylindrical peristome c. 5 mm wide with a tendency, usually seen in some of the lower pitchers of most plants, to be slightly flattened with 1-3 shallow lobes at each side. Their lids lack appendages and their inflorescences have 2-flowered partial peduncles usually bearing small filiform bracts.
Nepenthes philippinensis Macfarl. has long been passed over. It was originally published without an illustration and the type was destroyed at PNH. No duplicate of the type has been located. On the basis of the description, it was ascribed to synonymy under N. alata Blanco (Jebb & Cheek in Blumea 42 (1997) 15) to which it is superficially similar though it lacks a lid appendage. However, a duplicate of the only other specimen cited in the protologue, Curran 3896, has now been located. Examination of the lid shows the characteristic gland distribution and slightly retuse apex of N. wilkiei and there is no doubt that the type of the latter is conspecific with Curran 3896.
The earliest illustration that we have traced for this species is Mann Carnivorous Plant Newsl. 27 (1998) f. 5 . According to Mendum and Wilkie (pers. comm.) Mann’s description of the site at which he discovered in October 1996 “an unknown species from Palawan Island” is identical to the site at which they collected the type of N. wilkiei climbing on trees of Gymnostoma. Mann’s figure 5 matches their material closely.A