Nepenthes mollis
Synonymy
Nepenthes mollis in Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sér. 3, 9: 338, f. 14. 1928 sec. Cheek & Jebb 2001: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:603763-1 wfo-0000381561
- Holotype: Borneo, E Kalimantan, G. Kemoel (= G. Kongkemul or G. Kemal), alt. 1800 m, 17 Oct 1925, Endert 4282 (BO)
Description
Climber, probably terrestrial, height unknown. Stems terete or slightly angular or flattened, 6-9 mm diam., internodes 10-15 cm long, axillary buds 3-10 mm long, inserted 5-10 mm above the node; rosettes and short stems unknown. Leaves of climbing stems coriaceous, sessile, oblanceolate or oblanceolate-spathulate, 18-20 by 3.5-4.5 cm, apex acute, base attenuate, 2 cm wide, subperfoliate-adnate, decurrent as two attenuate wings for 4-6 cm to the node below, wings up to 1 cm wide. Longitudinal nerves indistinct. Pennate nerves oblique, soon curving towards the margin and forming one or rarely two longitudinal nerves near the margin. Lower and upper pitchers not known. Male inflorescence 22-27 cm long; peduncle 7.5 cm long, 4 mm diam. at base; partial peduncles 2-flowered; bracts absent; pedicels 12 mm long; tepals elliptic c. 4 mm long; androphore and anther head 4.5 mm long. Indumentum of stem velvety with dense coarse brown spreading hairs both short and branched and long and simple, up to 2 mm long; the same denser and longer on youngest stem, axils, leaf midrib below and basal part above; the same less dense, shorter and finer on the lower surface of the leaf blade; upper surface of blade densely hairy with short, white, simple hairs; peduncle and rhachis of inflorescence densely hirsute with red-brown hairs; pedicels lower tepals and androphore with short crisped hairs. Colour of herbarium specimen fallow-dun to ochra-ceous brown, the indumentum dark red-brown.A
Notes
The description above is largely taken from that of Danser in Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg III, 9 (1928) 338 . The combination in N. mollis of sessile, oblanceolate leaves which are decurrent as wings down the stem, the dense indumentum of simple and branched red hairs, the virtual absence of longitudinal nerves except for their development from the pennate nerves, and the 2-flowered, bractless partial peduncles distinguish it from all other species. It is possible that the only specimen known represents a hybrid between e.g. N. fusca and N. hirsuta. The type of N. fusca was collected from the same locality. The pitchers of N. mollis are completely unknown and it is likely that a visit to the type locality is needed before this cryptic taxon is elucidated fully.A
Distribution (General)
Borneo: W Kalimantan (G. Kemal).A
Habitat
Dense forest on steep slope; 1800 m.A
Specimens
| Country | Date | Collector + collecting number | Herbaria | Type | Scan | Derivatives | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Oct 1925 | Endert 4282 | BO |  | ||||
| Citation: Borneo, E Kalimantan, G. Kemoel (= G. Kongkemul or G. Kemal), alt. 1800 m, 17 Oct 1925, Endert 4282 Specimen summary: BO Holotype of Nepenthes mollis Danser | |||||||