Nepenthes peltata
Synonymy
Nepenthes peltata in J. Insectiv. Pl. Soc. 59(1): 12 (-17; fig. 1; photogrs. 1-10). 2008 sec. McPherson 2009
Description
Stem short, rigid to 1 m hight, occasionally scrambling and to 3 m long.
The lamina is oblong, up to 50 cm long and 9 cm wide. The leaf apex is rounded and the leaf base is abruptly contracted and petiolate. The leaf tip is strongly peltate, the tendril emerging up to 27 mm from the apex of the leaf. The petiole is up to 7 cm long, and is canaliculate. The petiole is reduced or absent in seedlings and juvenile plants. The leaves are generally flat, but the margins may be variably upturned. They are also very distinctive because the upper surface of the leaf is dark green, and the lower surface is usually, though not always, dark red. The midrib is yellow or light green, and the stem, petioles and tendrils may be yellow, green, orange or reddish. The stem, petioles, tendrils, and lower surface of the leaves are lined with coarse, long, brown hairs. These hairs may be absent or sparsely scattered over the upper surface of the leaves and pitchers.
The lower pitchers are variable in size and shape. They are up to 28 cm tall and 16 cm wide, and may be wholly ovate, ellipsoidal, or urceolate. Wings up to 10 mm wide, fringed with filaments up to 9 mm long, run down the front of the lower pitchers. The peristome is loosely cylindrical, up to 2 cm wide, and expanded towards the sides and back of th pitcher opening. The peristome is lined with ribs upt to 1.5 mm high, spaced up to 2 mm apart. Sometimes the ribs are elongated on the inner edge of the peristome to form teeth up to 1 mm long, but such teeth are often lacking. The peristome is slightly raised at the back of the pitcher opening, immediately below lid. The outer margin of the peristome is recurves and often crenellated. The inner edge of the peristome extends into the pitcher opening for several millimetres, particularly below the lid. The lid is elliptic or ovate, up to 8 cm long and 6 cm wide. A well-formed appendage is generally lacking, but a pronounced keel, somewhat triangular in shape, may sometimes be present; if so, this keel is apparent close to the base of the lid and may extend downwards for a few millimetres. Many large, conspicuous nectar glands up to 3 mm wide are distributed across the underside of the lid. The spur is narrow, unbranched, up to 12 mm long and is often hairy.
The colouration of the lower pitchers is exceptionally variable. The exterior may be yellow, orange, pink, red or purple, mottled with dark purple or black blotches. The interior of the trap is light yellow or green, often faintly flecked with dark red or purple. The peristome may be bright yellow, orange, red, or purple, often striped with variable bands of yellow, orange or red. The lid may be yellow, orange, red or dark reddish purple, and is often decorated with dark red, purple or black blotches and flecks.
The inflorescence is a raceme, to 75 cm long by 3.5 cm at the widest point, but up to 6.5 cm wide in the female. The peduncle is up to 46 cm long and up to 9 mm in diameter at the base, the rachis to 20 cm long. Flowers are borne on predominantly 2-flowered partial peduncles up to 3 mm long, with a narrow bract 4-7 mm long towards the base, on pedicels to 14 mm long. Tepals are ovate with an acute apex and up to 4 mm long. The anther head is borne on a column up to 4 mm long. Fruits are 20 mm long and seeds approximately 4 mm long.A
The lamina is oblong, up to 50 cm long and 9 cm wide. The leaf apex is rounded and the leaf base is abruptly contracted and petiolate. The leaf tip is strongly peltate, the tendril emerging up to 27 mm from the apex of the leaf. The petiole is up to 7 cm long, and is canaliculate. The petiole is reduced or absent in seedlings and juvenile plants. The leaves are generally flat, but the margins may be variably upturned. They are also very distinctive because the upper surface of the leaf is dark green, and the lower surface is usually, though not always, dark red. The midrib is yellow or light green, and the stem, petioles and tendrils may be yellow, green, orange or reddish. The stem, petioles, tendrils, and lower surface of the leaves are lined with coarse, long, brown hairs. These hairs may be absent or sparsely scattered over the upper surface of the leaves and pitchers.
The lower pitchers are variable in size and shape. They are up to 28 cm tall and 16 cm wide, and may be wholly ovate, ellipsoidal, or urceolate. Wings up to 10 mm wide, fringed with filaments up to 9 mm long, run down the front of the lower pitchers. The peristome is loosely cylindrical, up to 2 cm wide, and expanded towards the sides and back of th pitcher opening. The peristome is lined with ribs upt to 1.5 mm high, spaced up to 2 mm apart. Sometimes the ribs are elongated on the inner edge of the peristome to form teeth up to 1 mm long, but such teeth are often lacking. The peristome is slightly raised at the back of the pitcher opening, immediately below lid. The outer margin of the peristome is recurves and often crenellated. The inner edge of the peristome extends into the pitcher opening for several millimetres, particularly below the lid. The lid is elliptic or ovate, up to 8 cm long and 6 cm wide. A well-formed appendage is generally lacking, but a pronounced keel, somewhat triangular in shape, may sometimes be present; if so, this keel is apparent close to the base of the lid and may extend downwards for a few millimetres. Many large, conspicuous nectar glands up to 3 mm wide are distributed across the underside of the lid. The spur is narrow, unbranched, up to 12 mm long and is often hairy.
The colouration of the lower pitchers is exceptionally variable. The exterior may be yellow, orange, pink, red or purple, mottled with dark purple or black blotches. The interior of the trap is light yellow or green, often faintly flecked with dark red or purple. The peristome may be bright yellow, orange, red, or purple, often striped with variable bands of yellow, orange or red. The lid may be yellow, orange, red or dark reddish purple, and is often decorated with dark red, purple or black blotches and flecks.
The inflorescence is a raceme, to 75 cm long by 3.5 cm at the widest point, but up to 6.5 cm wide in the female. The peduncle is up to 46 cm long and up to 9 mm in diameter at the base, the rachis to 20 cm long. Flowers are borne on predominantly 2-flowered partial peduncles up to 3 mm long, with a narrow bract 4-7 mm long towards the base, on pedicels to 14 mm long. Tepals are ovate with an acute apex and up to 4 mm long. The anther head is borne on a column up to 4 mm long. Fruits are 20 mm long and seeds approximately 4 mm long.A
Distribution (General)
Philippines, Mindanao, Mount HamiguitanA
Habitat
Terrestrially in mossy, upper montane forest, amongst degraded or recovering secondary vegetation, on exposed cliffsides and lanslide areas, and alongside stunted scrub on ridge tops; 865 - 1635 m a.s.l.A