Nepenthes lamii
Synonymy
Nepenthes lamii in Blumea 42(1): 54. 1997 [The species is named after Professor Herman Lam who made the first collections of this plant during the Van Overeem expedition to Mt. Doorman in 1920.B]. sec. Robinson & al. 2011
- Isotype: New Guinea, Irian Jaya, Doorman Top, alt. 3200 m, 17 Oct 1920, Lam 1637 (BO)
- Holotype: New Guinea, Irian Jaya, Doorman Top, alt. 3200 m, 17 Oct 1920, Lam 1637 (BO)
Description
[Description was emended after the exclusion of N. monticola from this taxon].
Stems upright to sub-scandent, often branching at the base, to ca. 45 cm tall, terete in cross section, up to 10 mm in diameter, internodes 0.3-0.8 cm long in juvenile rosettes, 0.7-2.5 cm long in mature shoots. The stem is invariably red, but may be dark, olive green suffused red in shadier conditions.
Leaves coriaceous, thick, broadly elliptic, to 5 cm long and 3 cm wide in juvenile rosettes, 18 cm long and 8 cm wide on mature shoots, lamina longitudinally folded to form a V-shape. Apex of lamina generally acute, base sessile, clasping the stem by ¾ its circumference, and decurrent for up to 1.5 cm, with broad, shortly attenuated wings. Longitudinal veins distinct, (2)3(-4) in outer 1/3 of lamina. Tendrils as long as or, more usually, longer than height of pitcher, 5-20 cm long, to 2.5 mm in diameter, never seen to coil, densely glandular, with glands up to 2 mm in diameter. The foliage is generally dark, olive green, the unfurling leaves often opening dark red, this colouration fading to green but often persisting on the adaxial surface, leaf margins and midrib.
Lower pitchers uncommon, being produced for a comparatively short period, entirely obovate and therefore narrowing slightly below the mouth, rarely with a slight hip ¾ of the way towards the pitcher opening, above the midsection, 3-8 cm tall and 1.5-4 cm wide. Wings reduced to ridges, very rarely up to 1 mm wide, fringe elements absent or very few towards pitcher opening. The pitcher opening is positioned at an oblique angle up to 45° from horizontal, slightly concave to straight in profile, almost perfectly orbicular, but occasionally to very broadly transversely elliptic, 1.2-3.4 cm across. The peristome is cylindric and may be slightly flattened towards the sides, 4-6 mm across, and of relatively uniform width, meeting the lid without forming a column. The peristome is striate, with ribs up to 0.2 mm high and 0.2 mm apart, with fine teeth on the inner margin to 0.1 mm long. The lid is planiform or slightly longitudinally folded to give a shallow V-shape, orbicular with a rounded to very slightly retuse apex, up to 4 cm in diameter, lacking appendages, but with midrib forming a slightly thickened keel and numerous large, lipped glands 1-3 mm across. The spur is simple, filiform and up to 3 mm long. The pitcher exterior is generally dark red, with sparse, yellowish green speckling, if present at all. The pitcher interior is creamy white to pale green and sparsely to liberally speckled with red and purple. The peristome is usually dark red to blackish purple, less often yellowish green with red stripes.
Upper pitchers similar to lower pitchers, but narrowly infundibular towards the base and broadly obovate above, rarely with a slight hip just below the pitcher opening, generally ca. 12 cm tall and ca. 6 cm wide, but up to 20 cm tall and 9 cm wide. Wings reduced to prominent ridges. The pitcher opening is up to 5 cm across. The peristome is up to 12 mm across, and usually slightly wider just below the lid, with ribs up to 0.5 mm high and 0.3-0.6 mm apart, with teeth on the inner margin to 0.8 mm long, longest below the lid, and a variably sinuate outer margin. The lid is proportionally larger than in the lower pitchers, up to 6 cm in diameter. Pitcher colouration is similar to that of the lower pitchers, darkening with age.
Inflorescence a racemose panicle. Male inflorescence 8-25 cm long, to 5 mm in diameter, peduncle 6-8 cm long, rachis up to 18 cm long, with ca. 20-40 flowers borne on 1-flowered partial peduncles 1.5-5 mm long, lacking bracts. Tepals elliptic, with an acute apex, up to 3 mm long and 2.8 mm wide, androphore 0.5-1 mm long. Female inflorescence up to 18 cm long, peduncle up to 12 cm long, rachis 4.5-8 cm long, with ca. 10-25 densely arranged flowers borne on 1-flowered partial peduncles lacking bracts.
Indumentum of short, pale brown to golden hairs 0.2-0.4 mm long present on young foliage, particularly the tendrils, pitcher bud and inflorescences. Mature foliage is predominantly glabrous, though the indumentum may persist on the tendril and distal part of the midrib.A
Stems upright to sub-scandent, often branching at the base, to ca. 45 cm tall, terete in cross section, up to 10 mm in diameter, internodes 0.3-0.8 cm long in juvenile rosettes, 0.7-2.5 cm long in mature shoots. The stem is invariably red, but may be dark, olive green suffused red in shadier conditions.
Leaves coriaceous, thick, broadly elliptic, to 5 cm long and 3 cm wide in juvenile rosettes, 18 cm long and 8 cm wide on mature shoots, lamina longitudinally folded to form a V-shape. Apex of lamina generally acute, base sessile, clasping the stem by ¾ its circumference, and decurrent for up to 1.5 cm, with broad, shortly attenuated wings. Longitudinal veins distinct, (2)3(-4) in outer 1/3 of lamina. Tendrils as long as or, more usually, longer than height of pitcher, 5-20 cm long, to 2.5 mm in diameter, never seen to coil, densely glandular, with glands up to 2 mm in diameter. The foliage is generally dark, olive green, the unfurling leaves often opening dark red, this colouration fading to green but often persisting on the adaxial surface, leaf margins and midrib.
Lower pitchers uncommon, being produced for a comparatively short period, entirely obovate and therefore narrowing slightly below the mouth, rarely with a slight hip ¾ of the way towards the pitcher opening, above the midsection, 3-8 cm tall and 1.5-4 cm wide. Wings reduced to ridges, very rarely up to 1 mm wide, fringe elements absent or very few towards pitcher opening. The pitcher opening is positioned at an oblique angle up to 45° from horizontal, slightly concave to straight in profile, almost perfectly orbicular, but occasionally to very broadly transversely elliptic, 1.2-3.4 cm across. The peristome is cylindric and may be slightly flattened towards the sides, 4-6 mm across, and of relatively uniform width, meeting the lid without forming a column. The peristome is striate, with ribs up to 0.2 mm high and 0.2 mm apart, with fine teeth on the inner margin to 0.1 mm long. The lid is planiform or slightly longitudinally folded to give a shallow V-shape, orbicular with a rounded to very slightly retuse apex, up to 4 cm in diameter, lacking appendages, but with midrib forming a slightly thickened keel and numerous large, lipped glands 1-3 mm across. The spur is simple, filiform and up to 3 mm long. The pitcher exterior is generally dark red, with sparse, yellowish green speckling, if present at all. The pitcher interior is creamy white to pale green and sparsely to liberally speckled with red and purple. The peristome is usually dark red to blackish purple, less often yellowish green with red stripes.
Upper pitchers similar to lower pitchers, but narrowly infundibular towards the base and broadly obovate above, rarely with a slight hip just below the pitcher opening, generally ca. 12 cm tall and ca. 6 cm wide, but up to 20 cm tall and 9 cm wide. Wings reduced to prominent ridges. The pitcher opening is up to 5 cm across. The peristome is up to 12 mm across, and usually slightly wider just below the lid, with ribs up to 0.5 mm high and 0.3-0.6 mm apart, with teeth on the inner margin to 0.8 mm long, longest below the lid, and a variably sinuate outer margin. The lid is proportionally larger than in the lower pitchers, up to 6 cm in diameter. Pitcher colouration is similar to that of the lower pitchers, darkening with age.
Inflorescence a racemose panicle. Male inflorescence 8-25 cm long, to 5 mm in diameter, peduncle 6-8 cm long, rachis up to 18 cm long, with ca. 20-40 flowers borne on 1-flowered partial peduncles 1.5-5 mm long, lacking bracts. Tepals elliptic, with an acute apex, up to 3 mm long and 2.8 mm wide, androphore 0.5-1 mm long. Female inflorescence up to 18 cm long, peduncle up to 12 cm long, rachis 4.5-8 cm long, with ca. 10-25 densely arranged flowers borne on 1-flowered partial peduncles lacking bracts.
Indumentum of short, pale brown to golden hairs 0.2-0.4 mm long present on young foliage, particularly the tendrils, pitcher bud and inflorescences. Mature foliage is predominantly glabrous, though the indumentum may persist on the tendril and distal part of the midrib.A
Distribution (General)
Indonesia, New Guinea, Papua Province, West Papua, upper reaches of Doorman Top.A
Habitat
Terrestrial; grows in rocky, largely inorganic and predominantly ultramafic substrates above the treeline at 3200-3250 m a.s.l.A
Bibliography
A. Robinson, A.S., Nerz, J., Wistuba, A., Mansur, M. & McPherson, S. R. 2011: Nepenthes lamii Jebb & Cheek, an emended description resulting from the separation of a two-species complex, and the introduction of Nepenthes monticola, a new species of highland pitcher plant from New Guinea, pp. 522-555. – In: McPherson, S. R., New Nepenthes 1. – Poole: Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole
Specimens
| Country | Date | Collector + collecting number | Herbaria | Type | Scan | Derivatives | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920-10-17 | Lam 1637 | BO(2) |  | ||||
| Citation: New Guinea, Irian Jaya, Doorman Top, alt. 3200 m, 17 Oct 1920, Lam 1637 Specimen summary: BO Isotype of Nepenthes lamii Jebb & Cheek | |||||||