Nepenthes suratensis
Synonymy
- Type (designated by Catalano, M. 20101): Kerr 13136 (BK), Thailand, province of Suratthani, Kanchanadit, sea level, 1927.
Description
Terrestrial climber to 3 m tall. Stem terete, 3-5 mm in diameter, internodes 5.5-6.5 cm long. Leaves coriaceous, 0.5 mm thick, lamina lanceolate, 13-35 cm long, 2-4 cm wide, apex acute to narrowly acuminate, base attenuate and sessile, clasping the stem by three quarters of its circumference; longitudinal veins 3 on each side of the midrib in distal quarter of the lamina, pinnate veins arising obliquely from midrib; tendrils terete, 10-24 cm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, coiling in upper pitchers. Lower pitchers 9-15 x 4-5 cm, ovate in the lower half and narrowing above or completely ovate, hip at the mid-section to absent in completely ovate pitchers; two alae, 3-12 mm wide, run down ventral exterior surface from mouth to tendril, fringed with narrow filaments; pitcher mouth oblique, smoothly triangular; peristome flattened, 4-10 mm wide, teeth 0.5-1 mm long; lid broadly to narrowly ovate, 3-4.5 x 2-3.5 cm, as large as or smaller than the mouth, with irregularly wavy margins, base slightly cordate, lower surface with a small depression towards the tip, crateriform glands densely arranged and numerous, larger along the midrib, 0.5-1 mm in diameter; spur 3-5 mm long, simple; longitu- dinal veins 4-6 on each side of midrib. Upper pitchers 12-18 x 2.5-3 cm, tubulose or narrowly infundibular; alae 0-3 mm wide; pitcher mouth oblique, smoothly triangular; peristome and lid as for lower pitchers. Male inflorescence a raceme, to 70 cm, peduncle 50 cm long, rachis 20 cm long with ca. 180 solitary flowers borne on pedicels 3-8 mm long, androphore to 3 mm; tepals elliptic, green with red margins, 3-5 x 2-3 mm; a bract, to 1.5 mm long, is often present at the base or lower half of the pedicel. Female inflorescence as for male inflorescence, but rachis 10-15 cm long with solitary flowers borne on pedicels 4-10 mm long; tepals elliptic, green, 3-4 x 1.5-2 mm; bracts absent or greatly reduced in size and number. Indumentum of orange or brown hairs 0.1-0.3 mm long covering inflorescence, leaves and stem; indumen- tum caducous, absent in the lower part of plant. Colour: leaves light green; stem, midrib and tendril green to red; lower pitchers green to orange with red stripes or completely red, with red blotches over the inner, non-glandular zone, peristome green to orange or red, lid orange to red, marked by fine red stripes; upper pitchers green to yellow, with red blotches over the inner, non-glandular zone, peristome and lid green to yellow.A
Notes
Nepenthes suratensis is closely related to N. kongkandana, N. bokorensis, N. kerrii and N. andamana. It differs from N. kongkandana in having linear to lanceolate leaves (vs. obovate) and a caducous indumentum covering the upper part of plant (vs. a persistent indumentum covering the whole plant).
It differs from N. bokorensis in having bracteate pedicels (vs. abracteate), a caducous indumentum covering the upper part of plant (vs. a persistent indumentum of variable distribution), narrower leaves (2-4 cm vs. 7-8 cm) and a thinner peristome (10 mm vs. 20 mm).
It differs from N. kerrii in having linear to lanceolate leaves (vs. obovate) and a caducous indumentum covering the upper part of plant (vs. a persistent indumentum limited to leaf axils).
It differs from N. andamana in having green flowers with red margins (vs. red flowers), a longer androphore (3 mm vs. 1 mm), flower bracts that are bent inwards (vs. bracts that are bent outwards), a caducous indumentum, to 0.3 mm long, covering the upper part of the plant (vs. a caducous indumentum, 0.8 mm long, that is limited to the tips and bases of the upper stem leaves), a more variable glandular zone (1/3 to 2/3 vs. 1/2 of lower pitcher length), wider wings in upper pitchers (0-3 mm vs. 0-1 mm) and lower pitchers (up to 12 mm vs. up to 6 mm), lids that are smaller than the mouth, broadly to narrowly ovate, with wavy margins and with a small depression under the tip (vs. larger than the mouth, orbicular to broadly ovate, with straight margins and with no depression), a shorter spur (3-5 mm vs. 5-7 mm), a triangular mouth, as large as 1/3-1/2 of the lower pitcher (vs. ovate mouth, as large as 1/4 of the lower pitcher), greenish upper pitchers without peristome lobes (vs. whitish upper pitchers with peristome slightly lobed on outer margin) and a flattened peristome (vs. cylindrical).A
It differs from N. bokorensis in having bracteate pedicels (vs. abracteate), a caducous indumentum covering the upper part of plant (vs. a persistent indumentum of variable distribution), narrower leaves (2-4 cm vs. 7-8 cm) and a thinner peristome (10 mm vs. 20 mm).
It differs from N. kerrii in having linear to lanceolate leaves (vs. obovate) and a caducous indumentum covering the upper part of plant (vs. a persistent indumentum limited to leaf axils).
It differs from N. andamana in having green flowers with red margins (vs. red flowers), a longer androphore (3 mm vs. 1 mm), flower bracts that are bent inwards (vs. bracts that are bent outwards), a caducous indumentum, to 0.3 mm long, covering the upper part of the plant (vs. a caducous indumentum, 0.8 mm long, that is limited to the tips and bases of the upper stem leaves), a more variable glandular zone (1/3 to 2/3 vs. 1/2 of lower pitcher length), wider wings in upper pitchers (0-3 mm vs. 0-1 mm) and lower pitchers (up to 12 mm vs. up to 6 mm), lids that are smaller than the mouth, broadly to narrowly ovate, with wavy margins and with a small depression under the tip (vs. larger than the mouth, orbicular to broadly ovate, with straight margins and with no depression), a shorter spur (3-5 mm vs. 5-7 mm), a triangular mouth, as large as 1/3-1/2 of the lower pitcher (vs. ovate mouth, as large as 1/4 of the lower pitcher), greenish upper pitchers without peristome lobes (vs. whitish upper pitchers with peristome slightly lobed on outer margin) and a flattened peristome (vs. cylindrical).A
Distribution (General)
Southern Thailand, coastal Suratthani Province.A
Habitat
In sandy soil, on open savannahs and grasslands, at sea level.A
Specimens
| Country | Date | Collector + collecting number | Herbaria | Type | Scan | Derivatives | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kerr 13136 (BK), Thailand, province of Suratthani, Kanchanadit, sea level, 1927. | |||||||
| Citation: Kerr 13136 (BK), Thailand, province of Suratthani, Kanchanadit, sea level, 1927. | |||||||