Nepenthes ovata
Synonymy
- Holotype (designated by Nerz, J. & Wistuba, A. 19951): Sumatra, Sumatera Utara, Prapat, G. Pangulubao, alt. 1800 m, 16 Mar 1989, J. Nerz 1601 (L)
Description
Epiphytic, rarely terrestrial shrub or climber to 1 m tall. Stem terete, climbing stem 4-6 mm diam., internodes 4-15 cm, axillary buds barely visible. Leaves thinly coriaceous, sessile, those of rosettes oblanceolate-spathulate, 10-15 by 2-3 cm, apex shortly acuminate, base attenuate, 1-1.5 cm wide; leaves of climbing stems oblanceolate-spathulate, 5-16.5 by 2.5-3.5(-5.7) cm, apex acuminate, barely peltate, base attenuate, 1.2-1.4 cm wide, clasping the stem for 9/10 its circumference, decurrent for 3-7 mm down stem, wings 2-4 mm wide. Longitudinal nerves 3 on each side of the midrib in the outer 1/2, fairly conspicuous. Pennate nerves, arising obliquely, then patent, straight, inconspicuous. Lower pitchers broadly ellipsoid, 10-15(-25) by 5-8(-9) cm, the upper half mostly occupied by the mouth; with two fringed wings 2-5 mm wide, fringed elements 3-10 mm long, 1-5 mm apart; mouth ovate, oblique, highly concave, the rear elevated to form a conspicuous vertical or overhanging column; peristome mostly flat, in the front half of the pitcher 3-8 mm broad, in the rear half of the pitcher, including the column, 15-25(-40) mm wide, the ribs c. 1.5 mm apart, c. 1 mm high, papery, striate, outer edge of the peristome with 8-11 shallow lobes 1-10 mm long, inner edge with conspicuous teeth, at the rear half of the mouth, teeth 1-7 mm long, projecting outwards from the column, in the front half of the mouth teeth inconspicuous or to 3 mm long; lid elliptic, 5.5-7 by 4.5-6 cm, apex rounded, base shallowly cordate, lower surface with a laterally flattened symmetrical or recurved appendage 2-5 mm high, 5-9 mm long, 5-13 mm from the base of the lid on a keel 10-25 mm long, 1-2 mm high, running along the midline, nectar glands circular, 0.1-0.2 mm diam. with a thin raised border, fairly dense on the appendage and along the basal 2/3 of the midline in a band 0.5-1.5 mm wide on each side of the keel, otherwise absent, the keel with a few large elliptic glands up to 0.3 mm long; spur 8-9 mm long, entire or divided into two arms for half its length. Upper pitchers infundibuliform, 12-18 by 4.8-6 cm, the base 1.5-2 cm wide, slightly contacted at the mouth, with two ridges; mouth as in the lower pitchers, but peristome and column reduced, peristome c. 3 mm wide in the front half, c. 14 mm wide in the rear half, inner edge with teeth curved, c. 3 mm wide in the rear, 1 mm long in the front half; lid broadly ovate, 32 by 33 mm, apex truncate to shal-lowly retuse, base truncate to shallowly cordate, lower surface and spur as the lower pitcher. Male inflorescence reported as 9 cm long; peduncle 4 cm long, 2 mm diam. at base; partial peduncles 1-flowered; bracts basal, filiform, c. 5 mm long; pedicels 5 mm long; tepals, ovate-lanceolate, 3 by 2 mm; androphore c. 3 mm long. Indumentum of sessile glands 0.1 mm diam. on stem, upper and lower surface of leaf, outer pitcher and lid; pitcher, including lid and spur, puberulous with sparsely scattered white simple hairs c. 0.5 mm long. Colour of lower pitchers, including the lid, green, inner pitcher green mottled red, peristome brilliant scarlet; upper pitchers yellow, peristome red with yellow stripes.A
Notes
First noted by Hopkins, Maulder, Maulder & Salmon in Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 19: 21 & 25. 1990. - http://legacy.carnivorousplants.org/cpn/articles/CPNv19n1_2p19_28.pdf. This was cited in the list of synonyms by Jebb & Cheek (2001). B
Nepenthes ovata is easily distinguished from all other Sumatran species by its conspicuous, laterally flattened, sometimes hooked, basal lid appendage. It appears confined to the Lake Toba area. Its upper pitchers are most similar in shape to those of N. bongso which occurs in a disjunct area to the south.
The description above is partly taken from the protologue.A
The description above is partly taken from the protologue.A
Distribution (General)
Sumatra (N): Mt Pangulubao, Mt SipualaiA
Habitat
Epiphytic in open, wet mossy forest; 1800 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
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. http://doi.org/10.3372/wi.48.48301
Specimens
| Country | Date | Collector + collecting number | Herbaria | Type | Scan | Derivatives | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-03-16 | Nerz, J. 1601 | L |  | ||||
| Citation: Sumatra, Sumatera Utara, Prapat, G. Pangulubao, alt. 1800 m, 16 Mar 1989, J. Nerz 1601 Specimen summary: L Holotype of Nepenthes ovata Nerz & Wistuba | |||||||