Nepenthes cornuta
Synonymy
Nepenthes cornuta in Plants (Basel) 3: 289 (-292, fig. 2). 2014 [The specific epithet, cornuta (lat. cornu = horn), refers to the plant's horn-shaped upper pitchers.B]. sec. Cheek & Jebb 2001
- Type: Philippines, Mindanao Island, Bukidnon Province, Pantaron mountain range, trail from Sitio Mahayag (Barangay St. Peter, Malaybalay City) to Sitio Balaudo, 15.08.2012, T. Gronemeyer and F. Coritico, holotype CMUH00008547, Central Mindanao University Herbarium (CMUH)
Description
The stem is up to 3 m long and 7 to 8 mm in diameter; the internodes are 4 to 5 cm long.
Leaves of the climbing stem are petiolate and linear to lanceolate, up to 30 cm long and 4.5 cm wide. The apex of the leaf blade is acute, the leaf base broadly attenuate and petiolate. The petiole is up to 4 cm long, canaliculate and amplexicaul, clasping between one third and half of the stem. Three parallel longitudinal nerves run on each side of the midrib, on the outer half of the lamina. The tendrils can reach up to 24 cm in length. The foliage and the midrib are green or yellowish green, while the stem and the tendrils can take on a slight red hue when growing in full sunlight.
Lower pitchers are up to 15 cm long and 3.4 cm wide. The pitcher opening is ovate and up to 2.8 cm in diamete . The pitcher's bottom third is bulbous; above this part, the pitchers narrow, sometimes forming a faint hip and becoming cylindrical to slightly infundibular towards their opening. The lid is up to 3.2 cm long, 2.8 cm wide and ovate. The appendage is reduced to a rudimentary keel of up to 1 mm. The spur is up to 3 mm long. The gland distribution is unknown. The peristome has a cylindrical cross-section of up to 5 mm in diameter, positioned at an angle and is lined with very fine ribs. The wings of the pitchers are reduced to ridges, usually without fringes. Occasionally, a few fringes can appear on the top end of those ridges, just below the peristome. The pitchers are green in their bottom third, sometimes taking on a yellowish hue towards the pitcher opening, whilst the upper two-thirds of the pitchers are mottled with red or maroon blotches. The peristome is yellowish to orange or reddish with fine red stripes. The lid is red to maroon with yellowish blotches.
Upper pitchers are up to 20 cm long and 4.5 cm wide, the pitcher opening being the widest part. The bottom third is swollen to varying degrees, sometimes displaying a faint hip, and tapers towards the tendril, giving the pitcher its typical, horn-shaped appearance. Above this part, the pitcher narrows faintly and becomes almost completely cylindrical or slightly infundibular towards its opening. The narrowing between the swollen base and the upper part of the pitcher is less pronounced than in the lower pitchers. The lid is up to 5 cm in diameter, ovate to cordate and lacks an appendage. The glands are evenly distributed across the lower surface of the lid. The spur is up to 8 mm long. The peristome is oblique and has a cylindrical cross-section of 5 to 7 mm in diameter. The wings are reduced to inconspicuous vestigial ridges. The pitchers are always green or yellow, except for the interior and the bottom side of the lid, which can have red to maroon speckles. The peristome is green or yellow, often with fine red stripes.
The inflorescence is a predominantly two-flowered rachis up to 40 cm long sitting on a scape of up to 21 cm. The individual pedicel can measure up to 15 mm. Bracts are absent.
Indumentum is absent from stems, leaves, pitchers and flowers, but the developing pitcher buds are covered with minute, orangey brown hairs.A
Leaves of the climbing stem are petiolate and linear to lanceolate, up to 30 cm long and 4.5 cm wide. The apex of the leaf blade is acute, the leaf base broadly attenuate and petiolate. The petiole is up to 4 cm long, canaliculate and amplexicaul, clasping between one third and half of the stem. Three parallel longitudinal nerves run on each side of the midrib, on the outer half of the lamina. The tendrils can reach up to 24 cm in length. The foliage and the midrib are green or yellowish green, while the stem and the tendrils can take on a slight red hue when growing in full sunlight.
Lower pitchers are up to 15 cm long and 3.4 cm wide. The pitcher opening is ovate and up to 2.8 cm in diamete . The pitcher's bottom third is bulbous; above this part, the pitchers narrow, sometimes forming a faint hip and becoming cylindrical to slightly infundibular towards their opening. The lid is up to 3.2 cm long, 2.8 cm wide and ovate. The appendage is reduced to a rudimentary keel of up to 1 mm. The spur is up to 3 mm long. The gland distribution is unknown. The peristome has a cylindrical cross-section of up to 5 mm in diameter, positioned at an angle and is lined with very fine ribs. The wings of the pitchers are reduced to ridges, usually without fringes. Occasionally, a few fringes can appear on the top end of those ridges, just below the peristome. The pitchers are green in their bottom third, sometimes taking on a yellowish hue towards the pitcher opening, whilst the upper two-thirds of the pitchers are mottled with red or maroon blotches. The peristome is yellowish to orange or reddish with fine red stripes. The lid is red to maroon with yellowish blotches.
Upper pitchers are up to 20 cm long and 4.5 cm wide, the pitcher opening being the widest part. The bottom third is swollen to varying degrees, sometimes displaying a faint hip, and tapers towards the tendril, giving the pitcher its typical, horn-shaped appearance. Above this part, the pitcher narrows faintly and becomes almost completely cylindrical or slightly infundibular towards its opening. The narrowing between the swollen base and the upper part of the pitcher is less pronounced than in the lower pitchers. The lid is up to 5 cm in diameter, ovate to cordate and lacks an appendage. The glands are evenly distributed across the lower surface of the lid. The spur is up to 8 mm long. The peristome is oblique and has a cylindrical cross-section of 5 to 7 mm in diameter. The wings are reduced to inconspicuous vestigial ridges. The pitchers are always green or yellow, except for the interior and the bottom side of the lid, which can have red to maroon speckles. The peristome is green or yellow, often with fine red stripes.
The inflorescence is a predominantly two-flowered rachis up to 40 cm long sitting on a scape of up to 21 cm. The individual pedicel can measure up to 15 mm. Bracts are absent.
Indumentum is absent from stems, leaves, pitchers and flowers, but the developing pitcher buds are covered with minute, orangey brown hairs.A
Notes
N. cornuta belongs to the N. alata complex of species that was recently installed by Jebb and Cheek (2013).A
Conservation
Assessed as VU (vulnerable) according to the IUCN Red List criteria.A
Distribution (General)
Philippines, Mindanao Island, Bukidnon Province, Pantaron mountain range.A
Habitat
Terrestrial on ultramafic soils on clearings or open scrub.A
Specimens
| Country | Date | Collector + collecting number | Herbaria | Type | Scan | Derivatives | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines, Mindanao Island, Bukidnon Province, Pantaron mountain range, trail from Sitio Mahayag (Barangay St. Peter, Malaybalay City) to Sitio Balaudo, 15.08.2012, T. Gronemeyer and F. Coritico, holotype CMUH00008547, Central Mindanao University Herbarium (CMUH) | |||||||
| Citation: Philippines, Mindanao Island, Bukidnon Province, Pantaron mountain range, trail from Sitio Mahayag (Barangay St. Peter, Malaybalay City) to Sitio Balaudo, 15.08.2012, T. Gronemeyer and F. Coritico, holotype CMUH00008547, Central Mindanao University Herbarium (CMUH) | |||||||