Nepenthes abalata
Synonymy
Nepenthes abalata in Nordic J. Bot. 31(2): 153. 2013 [Meaning ‘from alata’, because N. abalata has been misidentified for many decades as N. alata Blanco.B]. sec. Cheek & Jebb 2013
- Type (designated by Cheek, M. R. & Jebb, M. H. P. 20131): Philippines, Panay, Antique Prov., Mariliso (= Malalison) Island., male infl or. May–Aug. 1918, McGregor 32313 (holotype: US, isotype: B, photo K, photo PNH)
- – "Nepenthes alata" sensu Cheek & Jebb 20012, non , p.p., err. sec. Cheek & Jebb 20133
- – "Nepenthes blancoi" sensu Macfarlane 19084, non , p.p., err. sec. Cheek & Jebb 20133
- 2. Cheek, M. R. & Jebb, M. H. P. 2001: Flora Malesiana - Nepenthaceae, Series I, Volume 15. – Leiden: Nationaal Herbarium Nederland, Universiteit Leiden branch, 3. Cheek, M. R. & Jebb, M. H. P. 2013: Identification and typification of Nepenthes blancoi, with N. abalata sp. nov. from the western Visayas, Philippines. – Nordic Journal of Botany 31(2): 151-156, 4. Macfarlane, J. M. 1908: pp. 1-92. – In: Engler, A., Pflanzenreich IV. 111 (Heft 36)
Description
Terrestrial monopodial subshrub ca 50 cm tall. Stem terete, 4 – 5 – (7) mm wide, erect, 7 – 12 cm tall, bearing a rosette of 9 – 11 spirally inserted leaves; climbing internodes very short when in fl ower, sometimes later extending, stem then procumbent or scrambling (Co 3039), 30 cm long, with internodes 1.2 – 2.0 cm long, glabrous or with very sparse inconspicuous 0.5 mm long curved hairs; axillary area densely minutely hairy, with axillary bud 1 mm long, inserted 5 mm above the axil. Leaves thickly coriaceous; petiole not distinct; blade linear – oblanceolate, 1.3 – 2.8( – 3.4) x 14 – 22 cm, obtuse to abruptly emarginate at apex, not peltate, tapering gradually towards the stem, the proximal quarter more or less ligulate with parallel sides, ca 1.1 cm wide, clasping the stem by 1/2 its circumference, then decurrent in two wings, each 1 – 2 mm wide extending 4 – 8 mm below the node, not converging. Longitudinal nerves 2( – 3) on each side of the midrib in the marginal 1.5 mm, conspicuous; pennate nerves numerous, at 45° from the midrib, branching, more or less straight, conspicuous. Lower pitcher ovoid in the lower 1/2 – 2/3, cylindrical towards the mouth, 14.5 x 6.5 cm (the cylindrical portion 4.8 cm wide), with two fringed wings each 4 – 6 mm broad with fringed elements 3 – 4 mm long, 2 – 4 mm apart; mouth oblique, ovate, 5.7 x 4.8 cm; peristome rounded, 2 mm wide in the front, unevenly fl attened, 3.5 – 6.5 mm wide at the sides of the mouth, ribs 0.4 – 0.5 mm apart, conspicuous, about 0.25 mm high, outer edge with 3 lobes on one side, inner edge lacking teeth except in the 1/4 to 1/3 towards the lid, which has minute teeth 0.2 – 0.4 mm long; column weakly developed; lid not known. Intermediate pitchers (tendril not coiled) subcylindrical 10.5 – 13.5 x 2.5 – 3.7 cm overall, lower 4/10 to 1/2 ellipsoid, narrowing slightly above to 1.7 – 2.8 cm wide, the upper part cylindrical, widening slightly and gradually to the peristome, where 2.5 – 3.0 cm wide, bearing two fringed wings 1.0 – 1.5 mm broad, fringed elements 1 mm long, 1 – 3 mm apart; mouth ovate, 3.0 – 3.5 x 2.5 – 3.0 cm; peristome fl attened-rounded, 3 mm wide in the front, where raised in the centre, 5 mm wide at the front, otherwise as lower pitcher; lid ovate, 2.5 – 2.7 x 2.0 – 2.7 cm, rounded or retuse at apex, truncate at base; lower surface lacking appendages; nectar glands dimorphic, non-perithecoid glands moderately dense across most of the surface apart from a narrow ellipse along the midline ca 5 mm at the widest, which is free of glands apart from 10 – 12 large perithecoid glands; perithecoid glands longitudinally elliptic or circular, 0.50 – 0.65 x 0.30 – 0.50 mm, convex, with a central aperture 1/10 – 2/10 the diameter of the whole gland; smaller, non-perithecoid (but mainly perithecoid in Co 3039) glands circular or slightly elliptic, randomly orientated, ca 0.25 mm diameter, the central aperture 9/10 or more the diameter of the whole gland (but only 1/2 the diameter in Co 3039), glands densest, 12 per mm², at the base of the lid, fl anking the glandless midline, 4 per mm² elsewhere. Spur unbranched, 7 mm long, inserted 3 mm below lid, tapering slightly to a rounded apex, appressed hairy, white, unbranched. Pitcher mainly glabrous-glabrescent, except for below the peristome rim and around the spur, with sparse, grey, more or less stellate hairs 0.1 mm in diameter, each 3 – 6-armed. Male infl orescence borne on stems with only lower pitchers (type), erect, 52 cm long; peduncle 22.0 x 0.4 cm, glabrous; partial peduncles ca 160, 1-fl owered; rachis densely puberulent with curved branched or straight, single white hairs ca 0.10 – 0.15 mm deep extending to the pedicel and outer perianth; bracts absent, but with a tuft of 1 mm long hairs; pedicels (2.5)4.0 – 4.5( – 6.0) mm long, patent; tepals elliptic 3 x 2 mm, acute or rounded at apex; androphore 2.0 – 2.5 mm long, glabrous apart from a few red hairs and peltate scales 0.1 mm in diameter, long at the very base; anther head (0.5 – )1.00 – 1.15 mm wide, 0.8 mm long truncated cone-shaped; anthers ca 8. Female inflorescence known only from infructescence, 44 cm long, peduncle 33.0 x 0.4 cm, partial peduncles 58, 1-fl owered; bracts absent; pedicels 5 – 6 mm long, appressed hairy; sepals 3 x 1 mm, fruit valves 4, 14 – 19 mm long, glossy pale brown. Seeds not seen.A
Conservation
Nepenthes abalata is known from only one or two plants at each of the three locations, none of which are known to be protected, in a country where habitat destruction has been extensive and is ongoing. Threats include development of beach resorts. The three locations are spread along a line ca 200 km long, most of which is sea. Accordingly N. abalata is here assessed as ‘ Critically Endangered ’ (CR) according to IUCN (2001), applying criterion D.A
Distribution (General)
Philippines, western Visayas; Culion Island, Cuyo Island and Malalison Island of Panay.A
Habitat
Open rocky grassland or scrub habitats on slopes in non-ultramafic areas near the sea; at ca 0 – 20 m a.s.l.A
Specimens
| Country | Date | Collector + collecting number | Herbaria | Type | Scan | Derivatives | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines | McGregor 32313 |  | |||||
| Citation: Philippines, McGregor 32313 Specimen summary: Philippines, Panay, Antique Prov., Mariliso (= Malalison) Island., male infl or. May–Aug. 1918, McGregor 32313 (holotype: US, isotype: B, photo K, photo PNH) Type for: Nepenthes abalata Jebb & Cheek | |||||||