Nepenthes spectabilis
Synonymy
Nepenthes spectabilis in Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sér. 3, 9: 373, f. 21. 1928 sec. Cheek & Jebb 2001 wfo-0000381999
- Lectotype: Sibolangit, Sibajak, alt. 1800 m, 5 Jun 1920, Lörzing 7308 (BO; isotypes: BO, L)
Description
Terrestrial climber 2-3 m tall. Rosette and short stems more or less unknown; climbing stems terete, but with a groove above each axil extending 1 or 2 nodes towards the stem apex, sometimes rounded-quadrangular, 5(-7) mm diam., internodes 3.5-7(-10) cm, axillary buds inconspicuous. Leaves coriaceous, subpetiolate; leaves of climbing stems narrowly oblong or oblong-oblanceolate, 15-24(-30) by 3.4-5.4 cm, apex acute or slightly acuminate, almost peltate, base more or less abruptly contracted into a broad, winged petiole 2-7 by 1.1-1.5 cm, clasping the stem for 1/2-3/4 its diameter and de-current down the stem for 0.5-2.4(-4.5) cm as a wing c. 4 mm wide. Longitudinal nerves 3-6 on each side in the outer 1/3-1/2, fairly conspicuous. Pennate nerves oblique, much branched, fairly conspicuous. Lower pitchers poorly known, ovoid to narrowly ovoid, 11-15 by 3.2-6 cm, with two fringed wings 2-5 mm wide, fringed elements 4-10 mm long, 1-3 mm apart; mouth oblique, slightly concave, peristome flattened, up to 4 mm wide at the front, 12 mm wide in the rear half, ribs 1 mm apart, 0.1 mm high, outer edge entire, reflexed, inner edge with teeth 2 mm long; lid ovate, 3.2-5 by 2.2-3.8 cm, apex rounded, base truncate, lower surface lacking appendages, nectar glands densely packed, extending to within 2-3(-10) mm of the margin, along the midline 0.4-0.5 mm diam., sometimes elliptic, narrowly bordered, rarely sunken, towards the margin 0.1-0.2 mm diam., sometimes crater-like; spur 10-16 by 1 mm, apex rounded, unbranched. Upper pitchers narrowly infundibuliform to narrowly cylindrical, 17-28 by 3.2-4.5 cm, lacking fringed wings or with two fringed wings in the upper half, wings c. 1.5 mm wide, fringed elements 5-7 mm long, 1-2 mm apart; mouth concave, horizontal at the front, gradually rising to the vertical in the rear where extended into a slender column, peristome flattened 4-14 mm wide in the rear half, c. 2 mm wide at the front, ribs 0.5 mm apart, 0.1 mm high, outer surface reflexed, more or less entire, rarely sinuate, inner edge with teeth c. 1.5 mm long, conspicuous only in the rear half; lid 3.5-5.5 by 3.2-5 cm, apex rounded, base shallowly cordate, lower surface usually with a keel 7-16 by 1-1.5 mm high, nectar glands as in the lower pitchers; spur as in lower pitchers, 11-22 by 1-1.5 mm. Male inflorescence 21-33 by 2.5-3.5 cm; peduncle 10-15.5 cm long, 3-4 mm diam. at the base; partial peduncles 25-60, 2-flowered, often mixed with 1-flowered, 0-2(-2.5) mm long; bracts inserted near the base, sometimes displaced onto the rhachis, ligulate, (1.5-)4-8 mm long, apex attenuate; pedicels 6-8.5 mm long; tepals 4-6 by 2-3 mm; androphore 3.5-4.5 mm long; anther head 1.5-1.75 by 1.5-2 mm. Infructescence 23-29 by 9-11 cm; peduncle (9.5-)15-19 cm long, (2-)5-6 mm diam. at the base; partial peduncles c. 40, 2-fruited. Fruits with valves 41-45 by 3.5-4.5 mm. Seeds 18-20 by 0.4-0.6 mm. Indumentum: densely tomentose with erect, dull coppery red simple or sparsely branched, 0.3-0.7 mm long hairs, persisting usually only on the first internode and in lower internodes only in axillary patches 5-18 mm above the axil; the same indumentum, 0.2-0.3 mm long, also on the midribs above and below, rarely on the edge of the leaf blade, and on the pitchers, where up to 1 mm long; inflorescence with similar indumentum 0.3-0.4 mm long, rarely with indumentum sparse, white, 0.1-0.2 mm long; androphore puberulent along whole length; lower surface of leaf blade with sessile glands 0.1 mm diam. Colour of stems purple; upper pitchers purplish brown or purplish red with cream spots or stripes; male flowers yellowish green or brown, androphore reddish, anther head yellow.A
Notes
Nepenthes spectabilis is not easily confused with any other Sumatran montane species apart from N. lavicola. In both species the upper pitchers are narrowly infundibuliform to narrowly cylindrical and have a predominantly dark purple-brown colour. Nepenthes spectabilis differs from N. lavicola in its broader peristome with less prominent ribs, much longer spur (10-22 mm long compared to less than 6 mm long) and in its overall denser indumentum of reddish brown hairs, particularly in the axils of the leaves, on the underside of the midrib, and on the pitcher spur and inflorescence, but sparse elsewhere.A
Distribution (General)
N Sumatra: Aceh to Lake TobaA
Habitat
Open mossy forest or sub-alpine shrubberies; 1450-2000 m.A
