Nepenthes weda

Synonymy

Nepenthes weda Cheek in Blumea 59(3): 221 (-223, fig. 2, 3). 2015 [Named as a noun in apposition, for Weda Bay in Halmahera, Indonesia, the base of the Weda Bay Nickel Project surveys for which led to the discovery of this species.B]. sec. Cheek 2015

Type: Bangun et al. 218 sheet 2 of 2 (holotype MO No. 6576095; isotypes BO n.v., MO, photo K), Indonesia, Maluku Islands, N Maluku Province, Central Halmahera, Weda Bay, Bukit Limber, N00°32'41" E127°58'28", alt. 847 m, male infl., 1 Dec. 2012.

Content

Description

Terrestrial climber 2 – 4 m tall. Stems terete. Short shoots 4–6 mm diam, internodes 1.3 – 2 cm long, glabrous. Climbing stems 6 – 9 mm diam, internodes 10.5 –14 cm long, axillary buds conical, 2 –7 mm long, inserted 8 –13 mm above the axil, hairs golden-brown, multicellular, simple, sparse, appressed, 0.5 mm long, mixed with sessile depressed-globose red glands 0.05 – 0.1 mm diam. Horizontal stems, subterranean, bearing vertical rosette shoots along their length, 4 – 6 mm diam, internodes 1.2 – 4.5 cm long, surface irregularly ridged, corky, glabrous. Leaves petiolate, coriaceous; leaves of nanophyll rosette shoots 3 – 6, with blades slender linear-oblong, 20 – 22 by 2.4 – 6 mm, apex acute, tendril 65 – 85 mm long, base attenuate, petiole canaliculate 6 –10 by 2 mm, base shortly sheathing and clasp- ing the stem by its whole circumference; nerves not conspicu- ous; both surfaces with scattered glossy pale brown, mainly straight, simple hairs 0.2 – 0.5 mm long, dense along the adaxial midrib groove, mixed with a few sessile depressed-globose red glands 0.05 mm diam. Leaves of short shoots with blades el- liptic-oblong (10.5 –)15.2 – 25.5 by (2.8 –)4.1– 5.8(–7) cm, apex slightly acuminate, base acute, longitudinal nerves 10 –11 pairs, more or less evenly spread through the lamina, most con- spicuous on the lower surface. Pennate nerves numerous, conspicuous above, almost patent, reaching the marginal nerve; margin densely dark brown hairy, hairs simple 0.3 – 0.6 mm long; upper surface of blade glabrous apart from the densely pubescent midrib, hairs appressed, yellow-brown, 0.5(– 0.7) mm long, acute; lower surface with similar hairs covering 20 –100 % of midrib, hairs 0.75 –1 mm long, red-black or yellow mixed with sessile red glands 0.05 mm diam; inner 1/3 of lamina sparsely hairy, hairs 0.5 –1.25 mm long, mixed with sessile red glands, outer 2/3 glabrous or very sparsely hairy. Petiole canaliculate, (1.8 –)3.5 – 6 cm long, (0.2 –)0.4 – 0.5 cm wide, the wings of the basal 1–1.5 cm more or less abruptly dilated by c. 5 mm, perfoliate and decurrent for c. 5 mm down the stem, indumentum as in blade in herbarium specimens the dilated wing appearing as a sheath around the stem (artefact of pressing). Leaves of climbing stems with blade very nar- rowly elliptic, 20 – 23.5 by 4 – 4.5 cm, apex rounded-obtuse, base acute-cuneate. Longitudinal and pennate nerves as in the leaves of the short stems; leaf margin indumentum dense, brown, hairs simple, 0.5 –1 mm long. Upper surface of blade glossy, glabrescent, initially 10 % covered with simple ap- pressed hairs 0.25– 0.6 mm long, mixed with sessile depressed- globose red glands 0.05 mm diam. Lower surface 5 –10 % covered in persistent patent pale brown hairs (0.5 –)0.75(–1) mm long, and glands as upper surface. Petiole canaliculate, 5 –7, 0.4 – 0.5 cm, base perfoliate-decurrent, clasping the stem for 3/4 its diameter, then decurrent as wings 1– 2 mm wide for 1.8 – 2.7(– 4) cm, ﬁnally the wings uniting; indumentum as blade. Pitchers of nanophylll rosette shoots placed on ground in leaf litter, matt dark red to red-brown, broadly subcylindric, 4.2 – 6.5 cm long, 2.5 – 3.5 cm wide at base, tapering gradually to 1.6 – 3 cm wide below peristome; fringed wings 1.2 –1.5 cm apart, (2 –)7–11 mm broad, fringed elements (1–)1.8 – 2.8 mm long, densely clustered, arranged in 3 – 4 radiating planes, 0.15 mm apart towards peristome, or more evenly spread, 0.8 mm apart in dissection of the wings; indumentum of moderately dense patent simple pale brown hairs, 0.5 mm long, c. 15 – 20 per mm2, mixed with red sessile depressed-globose glands 0.03 mm diam at the same density. Mouth orbicular-ovate, slightly broader than long, oblique, slightly concave, column ill-deﬁned, peristome brown-green, rounded in transverse sec- tion, 1–1.6 mm wide, ribs more or less conspicuous, 0.4 – 0.55 mm apart, raised either slightly and inconspicuously or as a short slender wing 0.1 mm high, ribs separated by 12 –15 faint striae; outer edge entire, more or less revolute, inner edge ex- tended into conspicuous narrowly triangular, papery teeth 2– 2.4 mm long; lid orbicular, 1.2 –1.9 cm diam, apex rounded-emar- ginate, base rounded and minutely cordate apex of upper surface with a circular indentation 1– 2 mm diam base with 1– 3 submarginal tentacles 1– 2 mm long; lower surface matt pale yellow, with a corresponding raised, cup-shaped structure, 2 by 1 mm, inset 0.5 mm from apex, the interior densely hairy, otherwise appendages absent, nectar glands absent from midline and margin, 1– 3 on each side of the midline, longitu- dinally elliptic, thickly bordered, domed, glossy yellow, 0.8 –1.1 by 0.3 – 0.8 mm, the central aperture dark glossy brown, elliptic 0.25 – 0.5 by 0.25 mm, sometimes reduced to a minute pore at slit. Depressed-globose sessile red glands 0.05 mm diam and simple pale brown hairs 0.2 mm long, scattered thinly in the marginal 2 – 3 mm of the lid, the central portion lacking indu- mentum completely; marginal 0.6 mm of lid densely hairy, hairs bushy, erect, 0.1 mm long, with 1– 3 basal branches; spur en- tire or triﬁd, conical, 0.5 –1.5 mm long, densely appressed hairy. Lower pitchers (of short stems) brownish maroon, narrowly ovoid-cylindric, 11.3 – 20.2 cm tall, 4.7– 6 cm wide a the basal, ovoid portion, gradually constricting from a point (‘the hip’) 6 –7 cm from the base, narrowest below the peristome, 3.6 – 4.6 cm wide; fringed wings 1.5 – 2.2 cm apart, 0.9 –1.4(– 2.8) cm broad, involute, fringed elements 1– 2(– 3.5) mm long, dense, 0.3 mm apart near the peristome, more widely spaced, c. 1– 2 mm apart towards the pitcher base; indumentum of appressed, simple, multicellular, glossy pale brown or red hairs, 0.3 – 0.6 mm long, covering 10– 25 % of the surface; mouth ovate, strongly oblique, straight or very slightly concave, inner surface waxy white with purple blotches, column ill-deﬁned; peristome flattened to rounded green or red, 4 –7 mm wide, ribs conspicuous, 0.8 –1.1 mm apart, abruptly raised as wings 0.5 mm high, ribs sepa- rated by striae; outer edge more or less entire, revolute, inner edge extended into conspicuous, narrowly triangular, papery teeth 2 – 3 mm long; lid elliptic 3.4 – 5.9 by 3 – 4.1 cm, apex rounded, base rounded and minutely cordate; upper surface with indumentum as outer pitcher, sometimes with 3 – 4 multicel- lular tentacles 2 mm long, hairy, inserted near the spur (Mah- roji 70), purple brown; lower surface with 25 – 30 thickly bor- dered, flattened nectar glands (0.6 –)0.75 –1.5 mm long, borders glossy, pale yellow, central aperture purple brown 0.2 – 0.5 mm diam, spur 2 – 3 mm long, dorsiventrally flat, stout, entire, apex rounded, or (Mahroji 70) fasciculate, with 3 basal, equal branches 1 mm long, densely hairy, hairs 0.25 – 0.5 mm. Upper pitchers of climbing stems dark red or yellow-green, more or less tinged and mottled red-brown (Phillipson et al. 6417) ovoid- cylindric, 24 – 25 cm tall, the basal ovoid portion 10 by 6 cm, constricted to c. 4 cm wide above, dilating gradually to c. 5 cm wide below the peristome; wings reduced to two ridges, c. 2 cm apart; indumentum of appressed simple acute hairs as lower pitchers but less dense, and glabrescent in the mature pitcher; mouth ovate, oblique, straight or slightly concave, inner surface waxy white, mottled red, column ill-deﬁned, peristome rounded-flattened in transverse section, 3.5 – 5.5 mm wide, ribs conspicuous, 1–1.5 mm apart, abruptly raised as wings 0.2 – 0.3 mm high, ribs separated by striae; outer edge entire, revolute; inner edge extended into concealed, inconspicuous curved teeth 1.5 mm long; lid leathery, elliptic, 6.2 by 4 cm, apex and base rounded, upper surface with indumentum as outer pitcher, lower surface without basal appendage, but with a small sub- apical appendage 4 – 5 mm long, aligned along the midline, set back 4 mm from the apex, proximal part of appendage bilater- ally flattened, convex, semi-circular, 2 by 2 mm, distal part apically flattened, raised 1 mm above the surface, with a central bordered flattened longitudinally elliptic nectar gland c. 1 by 0.5 mm; nectar glands resembling that of the appendage, otherwise scattered on surface except for a midline band c. 5 mm wide at base of lid, widening to 8 mm wide at the subapical appendage; 10 –15 nectar glands on each side, orbicular or longitudinally elliptic, orbicular glands 0.5 –1.25 mm diam with a central glossy brown centre exposed by an aperture up to 0.5 mm diam in the glossy pale yellow border, elliptic glands 0.75 by 0.5 – 0.6 mm, larger glands flanking the midline band, smaller glands scattered towards margin, mixed with sparse sessile depressed-globose red glands 0.1 mm diam, marginal 1– 2 mm with scattered bushy hairs 0.1 mm diam, surface white, with streaks of red radiating from the basal attachment, nectar glands pale brown in life (Phillipson 6417); spur dorsiventrally flattened, 2 – 3 by 1 mm, recurved from above half its length, apex rounded, surface minutely densely papillate, papillae translucent, 0.01 mm long. Male inflorescence 44.5 – 48 by 4.5 – 5 cm; peduncle 14 –18.5 by 0.3 – 0.4 cm at base; partial- peduncles 65 –70, 4-flowered in proximal half, the distal 4/5ths 3-flowered, the distal most 1/5th 2-flowered; bract ﬁliform, re- flexed, 1– 4 mm long, inserted c. 2 mm above base; partial- peduncle (3 –)5(–7) mm long; partial-rhachis 3 – 5 mm long; pedicels 8 –10(–12) mm long 90 % covered in pale brown appressed simples hairs 0.25 mm long, extending to partial- peduncles, rhachis and peduncle, where covering only c. 20 % of surface. Tepals 4, divided by 9 /10, lobes ovate-elliptic, 4 – 4.2(– 4.5) by 3 – 3.5 mm, apex rounded, upper surface col- oured green, distal half and marginal 0.5 mm with dense ap- pressed simple brown hairs 0.1– 0.2 mm long; proximal part glabrous, with minute elliptic-bordered nectar glands 0.05 mm long, c. 0.15 mm apart, at an apex of irregular raised tubercles, black (dried material). Lower surface with dense appressed golden-brown hairs 0.1– 0.125 mm long, 90 % cover, andro- phore terete 2.5– 3.5 mm long, 0.5– 0.6 mm wide, with scattered simple golden-brown hairs 0.2 mm long; anther head white, subglobose, 1.5 –1.6 mm diam, anthers 8 in a single whorl. Female inflorescence, fruit and seed unknown.A

Conservation

Since on current evidence a single location is known with an area of occupancy estimated as 12 km2 (using the 4 km2 cells currently favoured by IUCN (2012), and with a similar extent of occurrence, N. weda is here assessed as CR B1+B2a,b(iii), that is Critically Endangered.A

Distribution (General)

Indonesia, Central Halmahera, Bukit Limber of Weda Bay.A

Habitat

Lower montane forest on ultramaﬁc substrate; 415 –1014 m altitude. A

Bibliography

A. Cheek, M. R. 2015: Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae) of Halmahera, Indonesia. – Blumea 59(3): 215-225

Specimens

	Country	Date	Collector + collecting number	Herbaria	Type	Scan	Derivatives
	Bangun et al. 218 sheet 2 of 2 (holotype MO No. 6576095; isotypes BO n.v., MO, photo K), Indonesia, Maluku Islands, N Maluku Province, Central Halmahera, Weda Bay, Bukit Limber, N00°32'41" E127°58'28", alt. 847 m, male infl., 1 Dec. 2012.
	Citation: Bangun et al. 218 sheet 2 of 2 (holotype MO No. 6576095; isotypes BO n.v., MO, photo K), Indonesia, Maluku Islands, N Maluku Province, Central Halmahera, Weda Bay, Bukit Limber, N00°32'41" E127°58'28", alt. 847 m, male infl., 1 Dec. 2012.