Nepenthes ultra
Description
Terrestrial climber reaching 1.5 m tall, drying yellow-green. Stems with slight decurrent ridges from leaf bases, (4–)5–6 mm diam, internodes 1.5–2.7 cm long, axillary buds rounded, c. 1 mm long, inserted 6 mm above the axil, indumentum absent, glabrous, rarely with caducous sparse simple hairs at stem apex. Rosette stems unknown apart from a single leaf. Leaf of rosette stem leathery, elliptic 7.5 by 2 cm, apex acute, base decurrent to petiole, veins obscure, glabrous; petiole 2 by 0.4 cm, winged. Leaves of climbing stems spirally inserted, papery, blade narrowly oblong (10–)12.5–23.5 by (2.5–)2.8–3.9 cm, apex acute, not peltate, tendril arising abruptly, base acute to obtuse, abruptly decurrent to petiole, longitudinal nerves (2–)3(–4) pairs, conspicuous in the marginal half; pennate nerves arising at about 45° from the midrib, both surfaces matt, drying dull yellow-green above, brown below, glabrous apart from scattered red-black, bun-like raised glands 0.05 mm diam. Petiole evenly winged along its length, 4.2–5.5(–7) by (0.2–)0.4–0.7(–1) cm, clasping the stem for 1/3–1/2 its circumference, decurrent as low, rounded ridges. Lower pitcher 6.5 cm tall, 3.5 cm broad, ovoid in the lower half, upper cylindrical part 2 cm broad. Outer surface with indumentum as upper pitchers, with two fringed wings up to 4 mm broad running from base to apex of pitcher, fringed elements 1–4 mm long, c. 1.5 mm apart, mouth ovate, highly concave, oblique, peristome cylindrical 2–3 mm diam, with inconspicuous ribs 0.3 mm apart, inner edge with teeth 0.1 mm long, alternating with perforations; lid ovate, 2.6 by 2.1 cm, apex and base rounded. Intermediate pitcher (tendril at side, uncoiled) 10 by 4 cm, ellipsoid in the lower 5 cm, upper half cylindrical, 2.5–2.7 cm diam. Outer surface with indumentum as upper pitchers, with two fringed wings 1 mm broad extending from apex of pitcher 1.5–3 cm towards base, fringed elements 2.5 mm long, 2–3 mm apart, mouth ovate, oblique, 2.7 by 2.8 cm, column not formed, peristome cylindrical, 2 mm wide at front of mouth, 3.5 mm wide at sides, ribs inconspicuous; lid elliptic, 2.8 by 2 cm, rounded at base and apex, lower surface of lid as upper pitcher, nectar glands c. 0.2 mm diam; spur c. 5 mm long, unbranched. Upper pitchers subcylindric, greenish white with some red markings, (11.5–)12.5–16 by 3.2–4.3 cm, slightly wider in the basal and upper halves (subequal) gradually narrowing slightly midway to 3–3.5 cm. Outer surface sparsely, minutely and inconspicuously stellate hairy; hairs covering 10–15 % of the surface, evenly spread, 3–5- armed, 0.06–0.1(–0.15) mm diam, central part of hairs red, arms translucent, suberect; bushy hairs rare, c. 0.3 mm diam; sessile bun-shaped glands not seen; perithecoid nectar glands sparsely scattered, 0.25 mm diam the aperture 0.05 mm wide; fringed wings absent, reduced to ridges c. 1 mm wide running the length of the pitcher; mouth ovate 4–4.5 by 3.5 cm, oblique, the frontal part sometimes straight, or slightly raised, striped red; peristome rounded to flattened, 2–5 mm wide, widest at the sides, c. 4.5 ridges per mm, ridges 0.1 mm high, inner edge lacking conspicuous teeth, outer edge not or only slightly lobed; column not developed; lid orbicular or ovate (2.6–)2.9–3(–3.2) by (2.4–)2.8 by 3.5 cm, apex rounded, truncate or emarginate, base rounded to cordate; lower surface with basal appendage slightly developed, projecting 1.5–2 mm from the lid as a convex protrusion from a laterally flattened midline ridge 10–12 mm long; nectar glands monomorphic, not markedly perithecoidal, with short walls, more or less uniformally dense and minute over the appendage and lower surface, 5–9 glands per mm², orbicular to elliptic, c. 0.15 mm diam; upper surface of lid with indumentum as the outer pitcher. Spur inserted 1.5–2 mm below junction of lid and pitcher on 3 mm long ridge with simple hairs; spur appressed to upper pitcher, simple, stout at base tapering to acute apex, 1.75–3.5 by (0.25–)0.5–0.6 mm, densely long hairy, hairs grey, simple, subspreading 0.5 mm long. Male inflorescence with peduncle (8–)16–17.5 cm long, 0.25–0.4 cm diam at base, glabrous; rachis 39–61 cm long, bearing c. 140 partial-peduncles scattered along its length, partial-peduncles 1-flowered, bracts absent, partial-peduncle/ pedicel (10–)15(–18) mm long. Tepals 4, obovate, 3(–3.5) by 2.5(–3) mm, apex rounded, margin densely hairy with moniliform hairs, upper surface with elliptic nectar glands, live colour not recorded. Androphore (2–)4 mm long, proximal half with scattered stellate hairs; anther head subglobose 0.6 by 1 mm. Female inflorescence unknown except in immature and mature fruit. Infructescence peduncle 21–21.5 cm long, 0.3–0.5 cm diam at base, glabrous apart from red sessile glands; rachis 24–34 cm long, red sessile glands and sparse white appressed hairs, bearing 48–100 partial-peduncles scattered along its length, partial-peduncles 1-flowered/fruited, bracts absent, partial-peduncle/pedicel 22–28 mm long, with sparse white appressed hairs 0.25 mm long covering about 10 % of the surface. Tepals 4, oblong, c. 4 by 1.5 mm. Fruit valves ligulate, c. 31 by 2 mm, indumentum as rachis, hairs 0.1 mm long covering c. 20 % of the surface. Seed 16 mm long, pale brown, seed body central, 2 by 0.4 mm.A
Distribution (General)
Philippines, LuzonA