Nepenthes gymnamphora /nɪˈpɛnθz ɪmˈnæmfɔːrə/ is a tropical pitcher plant native to the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra. It has a wide altitudinal range of 600–2,800 metres (2,000–9,200 ft) above sea level.[3] There is much debate surrounding the taxonomic status of this species and the taxa N. pectinata and N. xiphioides.[4]

Quick Facts Conservation status, Scientific classification ...
Nepenthes gymnamphora
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Intermediate pitchers of N. gymnamphora from Sumatra
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Nepenthaceae
Genus: Nepenthes
Species:
N. gymnamphora
Binomial name
Nepenthes gymnamphora
Reinw. ex Nees (1824)
Synonyms
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The specific epithet gymnamphora is derived from the Greek words gymnos (naked) and amphoreus (pitcher).[4]

Taxonomy

An illustration of the type specimen of N. pectinata from Danser's monograph

The N. gymnamphora group of related taxa has been variously interpreted as comprising a single extremely variable species (N. gymnamphora);[4][5][6] two distinct species, one from Java (N. gymnamphora) and one from Sumatra (N. pectinata);[7][8] or two species, one with a wide distribution covering Java and Sumatra (N. gymnamphora) and one with a very restricted range in Sumatra (N. xiphioides).[9] An additional fourth undescribed taxon, known from Mount Sorik Merapi in Sumatra, may also fall within N. gymnamphora.[4]

Nepenthes pectinata

Nepenthes pectinata[a] was described by B. H. Danser in his seminal 1928 monograph "The Nepenthaceae of the Netherlands Indies".[10] Danser's description of N. pectinata was based on material that included upper pitchers of N. singalana.[4] This was first noted in 1994 by Jan Schlauer and Joachim Nerz, who provided a lectotype for N. pectinata: Bünnemeijer 700, a specimen collected on Mount Talakmau.[8][11]

Danser mentioned another specimen in his monograph that he identified as the natural hybrid N. pectinata × N. singalana,[10] but which actually represented a pure N. singalana.[4][8]

Nepenthes pectinata has a separate conservation status of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.[12]

Nepenthes xiphioides

Nepenthes xiphioides[b] was described by Bruce Salmon and Ricky Maulder in a 1995 issue of the Carnivorous Plant Newsletter.[9] The authors treated N. pectinata as conspecific with N. gymnamphora, and distinguished N. xiphioides from the latter based on a number of characters shown in the table below.

More information Morphological character, N. gymnamphora ...
Morphological differences between N. gymnamphora and N. xiphioides according to Salmon & Maulder (1995)[9]
Morphological characterN. gymnamphoraN. xiphioides
Longitudinal leaf veins3-6 running in outer 2/3- 4/5 of blade2-3 running in outer 1/2 of blade
Leaf marginscovered with short dense hairglabrous
Rosette leaf tendrilabout as long as the pitcher2-3 times as long as the leaf
Rosette pitchers8–12 centimetres (3–5 in) tall, 3–4 centimetres (1–2 in) broad4–5.5 centimetres (1.6–2.2 in) tall, 1.5–2 centimetres (0.6–0.8 in) broad
Aerial pitcherspresentabsent
Peristome teeth3-6 times as long as broad6-8 times as long as broad
Inflorescencemostly 2 flowered, upper most ones 1 flowered; rarely most or all of them 1 flowered1 flowered but bearing some 2 flowered pedicels in lower 1/3
Staminal columnhairy at base or over whole lengthglabrous
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Infraspecific taxa

  • Nepenthes gymnamphora var. haematamphora Miq. (1851)
  • Nepenthes gymnamphora var. pectinata (Danser) Hort.Westphal (1999) in sched.

Natural hybrids

Notes

a.^ Nepenthes pectinata is pronounced /nɪˈpɛnθz ˌpɛktɪˈnɑːtə/. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin word pectinata, meaning "comb-shaped".
b.^ Nepenthes xiphioides is pronounced /nɪˈpɛnθz zɪfˈɔɪdz/. The specific epithet is derived from the Neo-Latin word xiphius (sword) and the Latin ending -oides (resembling), and refers to the long, thin teeth lining the inner margin of the peristome of this species.[9]

References

Further reading

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