Nepenthes alata

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This concept of the taxon Nepenthes alata Blanco, Fl. Filip., ed. 1: 805. 1837 wfo-0000382371 is not contained as an accepted taxon in the currently chosen classification, but in this one: Flora Malesiana concepts

Nepenthes alata

Synonymy

Nepenthes alata Blanco, Fl. Filip., ed. 1: 805. 1837 sec. Jebb & Cheek 1997 wfo-00003823711
      Neotype: Philippines, Luzon, Prov. Ilocos Norte, Burgos, male fl . 23 – 25 Nov 1916 Fenix BS 26726 (neotype: US, photo, K, isoneotypes: BO n.v., SING n.v.). designated by Cheek & Jebb 20132
  • 1. Type: Blanco s.n. (not located, PNH†?), Philippines, Luzon, Ilocos, Vintar, 2. Cheek, M. R. & Jebb, M. H. P. 2013: Typification and redelimitation of Nepenthes alata with notes on the N. alata group, and N. negros sp. nov. from the Philippines. – Nordic Journal of Botany 31: 616-622
  • =Nepenthes blancoi Blume in Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat. 2: 10. 1852 syn. sec. Cheek & Jebb 2001 wfo-0000382385
      • Neotype: Philippines, Luzon, Benguet Province, Trinidad, Oct 1904, B. S. Williams 1012; male infl. (Philippines, Republic of the, Luzon, Benguet Province, Trinidad, 10.1904, Williams 1012; male infl. (US; photo K, PNH, isoneotypes: PNH destroyed, NY not seen) designated by Cheek & Jebb 20133)
  • 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
  • =Nepenthes alata var. biflora Macfarl. in Engler, Pflanzenr. IV. 111 (Heft 36): 72. 1908 syn. sec. Cheek & Jebb 2001 wfo-0001302507
      • Philippines, Negros Island, Mt Silay, May 1906, H. N. Whitford 1537(lectotype: K, isolectotype: PH). designated by Jebb & Cheek 19974
  • 4. Jebb, M. H. P. & Cheek, M. R. 1997: A skeletal revision of Nepenthes. – Blumea 42(1): 1-106
  • =Nepenthes brachycarpa Merr. in Philipp. J. Sci. Bot. 10: 306. 1915 syn. sec. Cheek & Jebb 2001 wfo-0000381947

Content

Other sources

excl. syn. Nepenthes eustachya Miq. (Danser, B. H. 1928: – Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sér. 3, 9. p 258)
excl. syn. Nepenthes philippinensis Macfarl. (Jebb, M. H. P. & Cheek, M. R. 1997: A skeletal revision of Nepenthes. – Blumea 42(1): 1-106. p 15)

Description

Terrestrial climber to 4 m tall. Climbing stems terete or rounded-triangular, 4-8 mm diam., internodes 1.5-4 cm long; axillary buds conical, 1-3 by 0.5-1 mm, acute. Leaves coriaceous to chartaceous, petiolate or sessile, blade narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate-spathulate; those of basal rosettes up to 13 by 3 cm, leaves of climbing stems 10.5-25 by 1.6-5.2 cm, apex acute, base either cuneate or with a distinct, winged petiole 2.5-5 by 0.3-1 cm, clasping the stem for 1/2 its circumference, not auriculate or sheathed, but very shortly decurrent by 2-3 mm. Longitudinal nerves 1 or 2 on each side of the midrib, close to the margin, usually obscure. Pennate nerves numerous, ascending at 45° from the midrib or patent, but always sinuous, not reaching the marginal nerves and usually obscure. Lower pitchers ± ellipsoid in the basal half, gradually becoming slightly constricted towards the subcylindrical upper half, 9-17 cm long, 2.8-3.5 cm wide in the lower half, 1.9-2.7 cm wide in the upper half, with two fringed wings 0.7-4 mm broad, fringed elements 2-7 mm long, 2-5 mm apart, mouth ovate, acuminate towards the lid, oblique, at 45° to the pitcher axis, straight; peristome flattened, 2-5 mm wide, with fine ribs 0.3-0.5 mm apart, 0.1 mm high, inner edge rarely dentate, the outer margin straight, not sinuate; lid (suborbicular-)elliptic(-ovate), (1.7-)2.2-3.8(-5.5) by (1.6-)2-3(-4) cm, apex rounded to retuse, base rounded (-subcordate), lower surface usually with a fin-like basal appendage 6-8 by 2-4 mm high, rarely absent, the apical appendage a low ridge 7-10 by 1-2.5 mm high or absent; nectar glands crater-like, dense, numerous, evenly spread, small, circular, c. 0.15 mm diam.; spur simple, 6-8 mm long. Upper pitchers as the lower, but slightly ventricose, or ellipsoid in the lower 1/3, then abruptly constricted and cylindrical in the upper 2/3, (7.5-)12.5-19.5 cm long, (2-)2.7-4.5 cm wide in the basal part, (1.7-)2-3 cm wide in the upper cylindrical part, with two ridges ± 1 mm wide, lacking fringed elements usually, but sometimes with teeth developed, 1-2 mm long near the peristome, the uppermost wings 4-6.5 mm long, projecting over the peristome. Male inflorescence a raceme 28-43 by 3-5 cm; peduncle 10-13 cm long, 2-3 mm diam. at the base; partial peduncles 1-flowered, rare-ly 2-flowered, bracts absent, pedicels 14-19(-27) mm long; tepals elliptic, 3-4.5 by 1.5-3 mm; androphore (3.5-)4-5 mm long; anther head 1.5-3 mm wide. Fruits with valves 18-28 by 2-3 mm. Seeds filiform, tuberculate at centre, 10-14 mm by 0.3 mm. Indumentum generally absent from stem, rarely yellow-brown tomentose; leaves with scattered long white hairs when young, soon glabrous; pitchers densely covered in a mixture of long, mostly unbranched coppery hairs up to 0.7 mm long and minute 4- or 5-armed white stellate hairs sometimes persisting in mature pitchers. Inflorescence thickly, rarely sparsely covered in appressed coppery ± unbranched hairs up to 0.5 mm long, sometimes persisting on young fruit valves, often mixed with small white stellate hairs c. 0.2 mm diam., and long white simple hairs. Colour of pitchers usually greenish, sometimes flushed, never splashed red, with contrasting dark purple peristome and mauve bloom to the inner pitcher wall. Inflorescence greenish yellow.A

Notes

Nepenthes alata is somewhat polymorphic, and is by far the most commonly collected species in the Philippines. It is one of only two species in Luzon (the other is N. ventricosa). The ridge on the lower surface of the lid may be developed into a prominent, even slightly hooked appendage. This lid appendage, together with the spike-like axillary buds, usually petiolate leaf bases and the sinuous pennate nerves suggest a relationship with the N. maxima (Regiae) group. Specimens from Luzon tend to have the smallest, hairiest pitchers, while those from Mindanao have more strikingly ventricose bases to their pitcher and relatively narrow necks.
In 1997 we restored the Sumatran N. eustachya, which Danser reduced to N. alata in his revision (1928). The two species differ in a number of characters: N. alata has a lanceolate-ovate leaf blade, with an acute or attenuate apex (unlike the obtuse to sub-peltate tip of N. eustachya), usually only 2 longitudinal veins (vs. 2 or 3), with sinuous pennate nerves, and the petiole is broadly winged compared to that of N. eustachya; the pitchers are very similar in the two, but those of N. eustachya have a more angular, woody base. In contrast to N. alata, N. eustachya has a spur which is usually branched or fasciculate, the partial peduncles are somewhat shorter, and the whole plant is more or less glabrous throughout.
In 1999 we restored N. philippinensis, a species restricted to ultramafic substrates on Palawan and immediately distinguished from N. alata by the lack of an appendage on the lower lid, and the absence of nectar glands from the midline of the lid. Nepenthes copelandii may also deserve restoration, but further study is first needed. It seems distinct from N. alata on the basis of its 2-flowered partial peduncles, hairy stem and sparse lid glands. It appears restricted to non-ultramafic areas of Mindanao and adjoining islands.A
The description and notes cited from Cheek and Jebb's (2001) Malesiana treatment do not consider the later separation of N. abalata Jebb & Cheek (2013) from this taxon. B

Distribution (General)

Philippines: Luzon to Mindanao.A

Habitat

Usually in mossy forest, rarely on ultramafic soils; 400-2400 m.

Bibliography

A. Cheek, M. R. & Jebb, M. H. P. 2001: Flora Malesiana - Nepenthaceae, Series I, Volume 15. – Leiden: Nationaal Herbarium Nederland, Universiteit Leiden branch
B. Berendsohn, W. G. & al. 2018: Using the EDIT Platform for Cybertaxonomy to prepare and publish a treatment for the Caryophyllales Network: an online synthesis of the Nepenthaceae. – Willdenowia 48: 335-344. https://doi.org/10.3372/wi.48.48301

Specimens

CountryDateCollector + collecting numberHerbariaTypeScanDerivatives
PhilippinesOct 1904Williams, B. S. 1012
Citation: Philippines, Luzon, Benguet Province, Trinidad, Oct 1904, B. S. Williams 1012; male infl.

Specimen summary: Philippines, Republic of the, Luzon, Benguet Province, Trinidad, 10.1904, Williams 1012; male infl. (US; photo K, PNH, isoneotypes: PNH destroyed, NY not seen)
Neotype of Nepenthes blancoi Blume

Philippines, Luzon, Prov. Ilocos Norte, Burgos, male fl . 23 – 25 Nov 1916 Fenix BS 26726 (neotype: US, photo, K, isoneotypes: BO n.v., SING n.v.).
Citation: Philippines, Luzon, Prov. Ilocos Norte, Burgos, male fl . 23 – 25 Nov 1916 Fenix BS 26726 (neotype: US, photo, K, isoneotypes: BO n.v., SING n.v.).
Philippines, Negros Island, Mt Silay, May 1906, H. N. Whitford 1537(lectotype: K, isolectotype: PH).
Citation: Philippines, Negros Island, Mt Silay, May 1906, H. N. Whitford 1537(lectotype: K, isolectotype: PH).