Nepenthes faizaliana

Nepenthes faizaliana

Synonymy

Nepenthes faizaliana J.H.Adam & Wilcock in Blumea 36(1): 123. 1991 sec. Cheek & Jebb 2001
    • Isotype: Borneo, Sarawak, Gunung Mulu National Park, 10 Nov 1981, Lai & Jugah S 44163 (K)
    • Isotype: Borneo, Sarawak, Gunung Mulu National Park, 10 Nov 1981, Lai & Jugah S 44163 (L)
    • Holotype: Borneo, Sarawak, Gunung Mulu National Park, 10 Nov 1981, Lai & Jugah S 44163 (SAR)

Other sources

Clarke, C. M. 1997: Nepenthes of Borneo. – Kota Kinabalu: Natural History Publications: 85, f. 56

Description

Terrestrial shrub or climber to 4 m tall. Stems terete, those of rosettes 0.3-0.4 cm diam., internodes 0.5-1.7 cm long; climbing stems 0.5-0.8 cm diam., internodes 1-5 cm long. Leaves coriaceous, petiolate; rosette leaves with blades oblanceolate, 8.5-11.5 by 4-4.5 cm, apex abruptly acute, base cuneate-decurrent; petiole 2.5-3.5 by 0.35 cm, canaliculate, clasping the stem by 1/2-2/3 its circumference; leaf blades of climbing stems lanceolate to oblong, 12-18 by 2.8-5 cm, apex acute-attenuate, base obtusely rounded; petiole 3.5-4.5 cm, canaliculate, clasping the stem for 1/2-2/3, rarely decurrent as two ridges to the node below. Longitudinal nerves 1 (or 2) on each side of the midrib close to the margin, moderately conspicuous above. Pennate nerves patent, inconspicuous. Lower pitchers subcylindrical, 9-10.5 cm long, slightly hipped: the lower half ellipsoid, 2.2 cm wide, the upper half cylindrical, 1.8 cm wide, with two fringed wings 2 mm wide, fringed elements 5 mm long, 1.5 mm apart; mouth oblique, concave, ovate, rising at the elongated apex into a column, peristome subcylindrical, 4 mm wide, with conspicuous ribs c. 0.2 mm high, 0.3-0.5 mm apart, outer edge entire, inner edge shallowly toothed near the column; lid orbicular, 2-2.1 by 1.9-2 cm, apex rounded, base cordate, lower surface with a laterally flattened, semi-circular or keel-like basal appendage up to 6-7 mm long, 1.5 mm tall, nectar glands 30-35 circular, narrowly bordered, 0.3-0.4 mm diam. scattered along the midrib; spur not seen. Upper pitchers narrowly infundibulate, rarely subcylindrical, 15-26 by 3.5-5.7 cm, lacking fringed wings, mouth slightly concave, column poorly defined; peristome cylindrical, 2-7 (-13) mm wide, ribs well defined 0.2-0.3 mm high, 0.5 mm apart, outer edge entire or, less usually, sinuate, with up to 3 lobes on each side, each lobe up to 0.4 cm long; lid orbicular, 3.5-4 by 4-4.2 cm, apex rounded or slightly emarginate, base deeply cordate, basal appendage semi-circular, laterally flattened, 5 by 5 mm, on a ridge 10-18 by 2-3 mm, nectar glands orbicular, slightly bordered, 0.2-0.5 mm diam. either densely covering the whole of the surface of the lower lid, or sparsely scattered apart from two arms diverging from the appendage towards the apex where densely spread, sometimes the apex with a cluster of larger elliptic or orbicular glands up to 1 mm long; spur stout, simple, 8-9 by 1.5-1.8 mm, apex rounded. Male inflorescence 48-60(-90) by 4-5 cm; peduncle 15-18 cm long, c. 4 mm diam. at the base; partial peduncles 1-flowered, to 20 mm long, bearing a patent filiform bract 0.5(-1.5) mm long, inserted 3-5 mm from the base; tepals patent, obovate, 3 by 2 mm; androphore 1.5 mm long; anther head 1 by 2 mm. Fruit with bract persisting, valves 24 mm long. Seed unknown. Indumentum of stems densely short-pubescent with dark red-brown, sometimes whitish, patent hairs 0.2-0.3 mm long, sometimes interspersed with hairs 0.5-1 mm long, extending to lower surface of the midrib, where less dense; lower surface of the leaf blade with sessile red glands, sometimes interspersed with hairs 0.2-0.3 mm long; pitcher, including upper lid, with same indumentum, but hairs much denser; lower surface of lid glabrous, or with patent simple or branched hairs 0.2-0.3 mm long; spur black sericeous; inflorescence with same indumentum as stem extending from peduncle base to lower surface of tepals, androphore, and ovary. Colour of dried leaves brown below, pitchers pale green or yellowish white, splashed with red or purple, lid marbled in same colours; inflorescence dark red with red-brown tomentum, tepals dark brown, stamens yellow.A

Notes

Although N. faizaliana was held by its authors to be closely related to N. fusca (their only specimen of N. faizaliana lacked a lid), it seems much closer to N. stenophylla, being distinguishable only in the inflorescences. Indeed, we formerly united N. faizaliana with N. stenophylla (Jebb & Cheek Blumea 42 (1997)). We are grateful to Charles Clarke (pers. comm., 1997) for suggesting the reassessment that leads us to resurrect this species here. Nepenthes faizaliana always has 1-flowered partial peduncles with bracts (vs. bractless, 2-flowered partial peduncles in N. stenophylla), on inflorescences twice as long, and with male partial peduncles also twice as long as those in N. stenophylla. Moreover, N. faizaliana is only known from three limestone peaks in the Mulu National Park of N Sarawak, whereas N. stenophylla is widespread on sandstone (rarely ultramafic) throughout N Borneo, including the Mulu National Park. It has been suggested that several vegetative characters can be used to distinguish the two species (Clarke in Nepenthes of Borneo (1997) 86). However, after lengthy examination of the eleven herbarium sheets available of N. faizaliana, we have found this not to be the case, nor have we found any other characters, besides those of the inflorescence and substrate, that allow us to recognise N. faizaliana. This is the only case that we know of in the genus of a species that is maintained purely on inflorescence characters.
Apart from the inflorescence, N. faizaliana shows a similar degree of variation to that seen in N. stenophylla, particularly in peristome diameter and lobing, lid nectar gland size and distribution, in whether the leaf base is sheathing or decurrent, and to a lesser extent, in indumentum length. Generally, N. faizaliana has a shorter and darker indumentum than that of N. stenophylla, but there is overlap. Nepenthes faizaliana is still a poorly known species, with only incomplete female inflorescence and infructescence available. The description of lower pitchers and rosette leaves is taken from S 30900 (Anderson), which appears not full grown.A

Distribution (General)

Borneo: Sarawak (Mulu National Park).A

Habitat

Scrub amongst limestone blocks; 600-1600 m.A

Bibliography

A. Cheek, M. R. & Jebb, M. H. P. 2001: Flora Malesiana - Nepenthaceae, Series I, Volume 15. – Leiden: Nationaal Herbarium Nederland, Universiteit Leiden branch

Specimens

CountryDateCollector + collecting numberHerbariaTypeScanDerivatives
1981-11-10Lai & Jugah S 44163K, L, SAR
Citation: Borneo, Sarawak, Gunung Mulu National Park, 10 Nov 1981, Lai & Jugah S 44163

Specimen summary: K
Isotype of Nepenthes faizaliana J.H.Adam & Wilcock

Specimen summary: L
Isotype of Nepenthes faizaliana J.H.Adam & Wilcock

Specimen summary: SAR
Holotype of Nepenthes faizaliana J.H.Adam & Wilcock