Nepenthes hurrelliana
Synonymy
Nepenthes hurrelliana in Sabah Parks Nature J. 6: 118 (-123; figs.). 2003 [The specific epithet honours American botanist, Andy Hurrell who studied this plant on Mount Murud in 1995.C]. sec. McPherson 2009
Description
Climbing branched stem up to 7 m long.
The lamina is elliptic or lanceolate, up to 35 cm long and 8 cm wide. The apex of the leaf is obtuse, rounded or occasionally emarginate and the base if obtuse and petiolate. The petiole is up to 6 cm long and canaliculate. The lamina is green, and the stem, midrib and tendril are yellow-green. Most parts of the plant, including the upper surface of the leaves, the inflorescence and the pitchers, are lined with coarse, orange or brown hairs up to 5 mm long.
The lower pitchers are up to 28 cm tall and 7 cm wide and are narrowly infundibular throughout. Wings up to 10 mm wide run down the front of the pitcher and are sparsely fringed with narrow filaments up to 12 mm long. The peristome is up to 1.8 cm wide and flattened at the front of the characteristically horizontal pitcher opening, expanding to 6 cm wide at the sides and rear. The rear of the pitcher opening rises abruptly, being strongly elongated into a neck that may be inclined forwards. The inner margin of the peristome extends into the pitcher opening for several millimetres. In newly opened pitchers, the peristome is initially flared, but its outer margins curl backwards as the traps age and sometimes the peristome becomes slightly crenellated. The peristome is lined with ribs up to 2 mm high, spaced 3 mm apart. The ribs are elongated on the inner edge of the peristome and form downwards protruding teeth up to 3 mm long. Below the lid, the ribs form triangular teeth that are arranged in two rows, usually separated by a gap of a few millimetres. The lid is narrowly ovate, but often curls at the sides so that is appears triangular, much like N. fusca. A triangular, slightly hooked appendage up to 11 mm long is often present on the lower surface of the lid, close to the base; this appendage is unusual in Nepenthes in that it is often hairy. The spur is unbranched and up to 11 mm long.
The interior and exterior of the lower pitchers are olive green or yellowish, usually mottled with variable, dark red, purple or black blotches. The peristome is predominantly dark red or purple and is usually spectacularly striped with contrasting bands of yellow, green, orange, purple or black. The lid is yellow or orange and heavily mottled with small flecks of dark red or purple.
The upper pitchers are similar to the lower pitchers in all respects, except that they are narrower, particularly towards the bottom of the pitcher, up to 30 cm long, and the wings are reduced to prominent ridges. Colouration is also similar, but the pitcher walls are generally lighter and the accent marks more vivid.A
The lamina is elliptic or lanceolate, up to 35 cm long and 8 cm wide. The apex of the leaf is obtuse, rounded or occasionally emarginate and the base if obtuse and petiolate. The petiole is up to 6 cm long and canaliculate. The lamina is green, and the stem, midrib and tendril are yellow-green. Most parts of the plant, including the upper surface of the leaves, the inflorescence and the pitchers, are lined with coarse, orange or brown hairs up to 5 mm long.
The lower pitchers are up to 28 cm tall and 7 cm wide and are narrowly infundibular throughout. Wings up to 10 mm wide run down the front of the pitcher and are sparsely fringed with narrow filaments up to 12 mm long. The peristome is up to 1.8 cm wide and flattened at the front of the characteristically horizontal pitcher opening, expanding to 6 cm wide at the sides and rear. The rear of the pitcher opening rises abruptly, being strongly elongated into a neck that may be inclined forwards. The inner margin of the peristome extends into the pitcher opening for several millimetres. In newly opened pitchers, the peristome is initially flared, but its outer margins curl backwards as the traps age and sometimes the peristome becomes slightly crenellated. The peristome is lined with ribs up to 2 mm high, spaced 3 mm apart. The ribs are elongated on the inner edge of the peristome and form downwards protruding teeth up to 3 mm long. Below the lid, the ribs form triangular teeth that are arranged in two rows, usually separated by a gap of a few millimetres. The lid is narrowly ovate, but often curls at the sides so that is appears triangular, much like N. fusca. A triangular, slightly hooked appendage up to 11 mm long is often present on the lower surface of the lid, close to the base; this appendage is unusual in Nepenthes in that it is often hairy. The spur is unbranched and up to 11 mm long.
The interior and exterior of the lower pitchers are olive green or yellowish, usually mottled with variable, dark red, purple or black blotches. The peristome is predominantly dark red or purple and is usually spectacularly striped with contrasting bands of yellow, green, orange, purple or black. The lid is yellow or orange and heavily mottled with small flecks of dark red or purple.
The upper pitchers are similar to the lower pitchers in all respects, except that they are narrower, particularly towards the bottom of the pitcher, up to 30 cm long, and the wings are reduced to prominent ridges. Colouration is also similar, but the pitcher walls are generally lighter and the accent marks more vivid.A
Notes
The upper pitchers of N. hurrelliana may appear similar to certain forms of N. fusca, but both the upper and lower pitchers, with particular references to the shape of the broad peristome, are nonetheless morphologically distinct from that species. The narrow, triangular lid and distinctive, hairy appendage also distinguish. N. hurrelliana from other closely related species, including N. boschiana and N. faizaliana. Young N. hurrelliana plants may be confused with N. veitchii, but leaf and pitcher morphology distinguish it from that species on close inspection.A
Distribution (General)
BorneoA
Habitat
Epiphyte on mossy, upper montane forest trees, at altitudes of 1500-2400 m.B