Nepenthes insignis
Synonymy
Nepenthes insignis in Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sér. 3, 9: 314, f. 11. 1928 sec. Cheek & Jebb 2001
- Isotype: New Guinea, Irian Jaya, Beaufort River, alt. 80 m, 9 Nov 1912, Pulle 277 (BO)1
- Lectotype: New Guinea, Irian Jaya, Beaufort River, alt. 80 m, 9 Nov 1912, Pulle 277 (BO)
Description
Epiphytic shrub or climber c. 80 cm tall. Stem triangular, 0.5-0.7 cm diam. Leaves thinly coriaceous, sessile, those of climbing stems linear-lanceolate to slightly spathulate, 20-35 by 4-6 cm, apex acute, base attenuate, decurrent into 2 wings descending 1/3-2/3 the length of the internode. Longitudinal nerves 4-6 on each side of the midrib in outer half of the lamina very conspicuous. Pennate nerves numerous, running obliquely, to margin. In the dry state only the longitudinal nerves are visible on the lower surface. Lower pitchers ovoid in the lower half, gradually becoming cylindrical in the upper half, to 16 cm high, 5 cm wide, with 2 narrow, sparsely denticulate wings; mouth oblique, fairly straight; peristome expanded, 6-12 mm broad, ribs 0.5-0.75 mm apart, conspicuous, outer edge conspicuously sinuate; lid suborbicular-ovate, rounded at the apex, rounded to cordate at the base, c. 5 by 4.5 cm, lower surface lacking appendages, with a distinct, thickened midline and 2 prominent lateral veins, nectar glands large, bordered, clustered about the veins; spur filiform, 5 mm long, acute, unbranched. Upper pitchers stout, infundibulate, sharply triangular in section at base, 16-30 by 5-8 cm, with 2 prominent ribs over the whole length, rarely with two fringed wings c. 2 mm broad; mouth oblique, straight and not concave; peristome expanded, widest at the sides, 0.8-3.5 cm broad, ribs 0.5-1 mm apart, c. 0.2 mm tall, conspicuous, outer edge sinuate, inner edge shortly and inconspicuously toothed; lid 4.5-7.5 by 4.5-7.5 cm, nectar glands dense, pit-like, transversely elliptic or orbicular, 0.6-1 mm long, absent from a 5 mm band along the midline, smaller and sparser in the marginal 1 cm; spur as lower pitcher. Male inflorescence 32-54 cm long; peduncle angular and grooved, 12-18 cm long, 5-7 mm diam.; partial peduncles nearly all 2-flowered; bracts absent; pedicels 17-22 mm long; tepals oblong, 4 mm long; androphore c. 5 mm long. Fruit and seed unknown. Indumentum absent from stems and leaves; young pitchers with short deciduous stellate hairs; inflorescence with spreading and stellate hairs from base of peduncle to lower surface of the tepals; androphore hairy at base. Colour of pitchers dark green in the lower half, yellow above with deep red spots; peristome reddish brown (Rischer Carnivorous Plant Newsl. 24 (1995) 75-77) .A
Notes
The winged leaf base, decurrent down the stem, the broad peristome with toothed inner margin, and 2-flowered partial peduncles separate N. insignis from all others species in New Guinea. Nepenthes insignis belongs with a grouping characterised by their often epiphytic nature, sessile leaves, angular stems, often large pitchers with a broad, only slightly rounded peristome which often lacks a revolute outer margin, and a lid in which the glands are absent from the midline and often transversely elliptic. This group was named the Insignes by Danser in Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg III 9 (1928) 405 and includes N. burkei, N. merrilliana N. northiana, N. sibuyanensis, N. ventricosa, and possibly N. bellii.
Nepenthes insignis was only known from four collections with scanty field notes gathered many decades ago until its recent rediscovery (Rischer in Carnivorous Plant Newsl. 24 (1995) 75-77 ), from which the colour and habitat notes above are derived.A
Nepenthes insignis was only known from four collections with scanty field notes gathered many decades ago until its recent rediscovery (
Distribution (General)
New Guinea: Irian Jaya, including Biak Island.A
Habitat
Canopy of lowland evergreen forest, rarely terrestrial on river banks; 80-850 m.A
Specimens
| Country | Date | Collector + collecting number | Herbaria | Type | Scan | Derivatives | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912-11-09 | Pulle 277 | BO(2) |  | ||||
| Citation: New Guinea, Irian Jaya, Beaufort River, alt. 80 m, 9 Nov 1912, Pulle 277 Specimen summary: BO Lectotype of Nepenthes insignis Danser | |||||||