Nepenthaceae (2001 monograph)
Encyclopedia
"Nepenthaceae" is a monograph
by Martin Cheek
and Matthew Jebb
on the tropical pitcher plants
of Malesia
, which encompasses Brunei
, Indonesia
, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea
, the Philippines
, and Singapore
. It was published in 2001 by the National Herbarium of the Netherlands
as the fifteenth volume of the Flora Malesiana
series. The species descriptions presented in the monograph are based on the authors' field observations in Borneo
, New Guinea
, and Peninsular Malaysia
, as well as the examination of plant material deposited at 20 herbaria
.
Cheek and Jebb recognise 83 species from Malesia
, including three nothospecies (N. × hookeriana, N. × kinabaluensis, and N. × trichocarpa
) and one "little known species" (N. deaniana
). In addition, they mention four "excluded species": N. cincta (likely a natural hybrid between N. albomarginata
and N. northiana
), N. cristata ("a nonsense species based on mixed types"), N. lindleyana (of which the original material could not be located), and N. neglecta (which the authors consider likely to represent N. gracilis
).
In "Nepenthaceae", Cheek and Jebb revised several of the taxonomic determinations made in their 1997 monograph, "A skeletal revision of Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae)
". They supported Charles Clarke's
interpretation of N. borneensis and N. faizaliana
in Nepenthes of Borneo
, synonymising the former with N. boschiana
and restoring the latter as a distinct species, separate from N. stenophylla
. In addition, N. philippinensis
, which the authors had previously considered a doubtful taxon, was treated as distinct. Of the species described since the preparation of their skeletal revision, Cheek and Jebb accepted N. benstonei
, N. lavicola
, N. mira
, and N. sibuyanensis
. However, the authors rejected N. angasanensis
, sinking it in synonymy with N. mikei
.
Taxonomist Jan Schlauer reviewed "Nepenthaceae" in the March 2002 issue of the Carnivorous Plant Newsletter
. He wrote that the monograph "contains essentially the same information as the "skeletal revision" published in 1997". Schlauer also added:
Laura S. Meitzner Yoder gave a positive appraisal of the monograph in the January 2005 issue of Economic Botany
:
"Nepenthaceae" was also reviewed by Charles Clarke
in the September 2001 issue of the Bulletin of the Australian Carnivorous Plant Society
.
Monograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
by Martin Cheek
Martin Cheek
Dr. Martin Roy Cheek is a taxonomist and botanist specialising in the carnivorous plant genus Nepenthes.-Research:Cheek has described several new Nepenthes species, mostly with Matthew Jebb, including: N. argentii, N. aristolochioides, N. danseri, N. diatas,...
and Matthew Jebb
Matthew Jebb
Dr. Matthew H. P. Jebb is an Irish taxonomist and botanist specialising in the ant plant genera Squamellaria, Myrmecodia, Hydnophytum, Myrmephytum and Anthorrhiza, as well as the carnivorous plant genus Nepenthes....
on the tropical pitcher plants
Nepenthes
The Nepenthes , popularly known as tropical pitcher plants or monkey cups, are a genus of carnivorous plants in the monotypic family Nepenthaceae. The genus comprises roughly 130 species, numerous natural and many cultivated hybrids...
of Malesia
Malesia
Malesia is a biogeographical region straddling the boundaries of the Indomalaya ecozone and Australasia ecozone, and also a phytogeographical floristic region in the Paleotropical Kingdom.-Floristic province:...
, which encompasses Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. It was published in 2001 by the National Herbarium of the Netherlands
National Herbarium of the Netherlands
The National Herbarium of the Netherlands was established in 1999 through a decentralized merger of the major university herbaria of Leiden , Utrecht and Wageningen...
as the fifteenth volume of the Flora Malesiana
Flora Malesiana
Flora Malesiana is a multi-volume flora describing the vascular plants of Malesia , published by the National Herbarium of the Netherlands since 1950...
series. The species descriptions presented in the monograph are based on the authors' field observations in Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, and Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
, as well as the examination of plant material deposited at 20 herbaria
Herbarium
In botany, a herbarium – sometimes known by the Anglicized term herbar – is a collection of preserved plant specimens. These specimens may be whole plants or plant parts: these will usually be in a dried form, mounted on a sheet, but depending upon the material may also be kept in...
.
Cheek and Jebb recognise 83 species from Malesia
Malesia
Malesia is a biogeographical region straddling the boundaries of the Indomalaya ecozone and Australasia ecozone, and also a phytogeographical floristic region in the Paleotropical Kingdom.-Floristic province:...
, including three nothospecies (N. × hookeriana, N. × kinabaluensis, and N. × trichocarpa
Nepenthes × trichocarpa
Nepenthes × trichocarpa , the Dainty Pitcher-Plant, is a common natural hybrid involving N. ampullaria and N. gracilis. It was originally thought to be a distinct species and was described as such....
) and one "little known species" (N. deaniana
Nepenthes deaniana
Nepenthes deaniana is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to the Philippines, where it grows at an altitude of 1180–1296 m above sea level. The species is known only from the summit region of Thumb Peak, a relatively small, ultramafic mountain in Puerto Princesa Province, Palawan.Nepenthes...
). In addition, they mention four "excluded species": N. cincta (likely a natural hybrid between N. albomarginata
Nepenthes albomarginata
Nepenthes albomarginata , the White-Collared Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant native to Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, and Sumatra...
and N. northiana
Nepenthes northiana
Nepenthes northiana , or Miss North's Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo, where it grows at elevations ranging from 0 to 500 m above sea level. The specific epithet northiana honours Marianne North, who first illustrated the species...
), N. cristata ("a nonsense species based on mixed types"), N. lindleyana (of which the original material could not be located), and N. neglecta (which the authors consider likely to represent N. gracilis
Nepenthes gracilis
Nepenthes gracilis , or the Slender Pitcher-Plant, is a very common lowland pitcher plant that is widespread in the Sunda region. It has been recorded from Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, central Sulawesi, Sumatra, and southernmost Thailand...
).
In "Nepenthaceae", Cheek and Jebb revised several of the taxonomic determinations made in their 1997 monograph, "A skeletal revision of Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae)
A skeletal revision of Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae)
"A skeletal revision of Nepenthes " is a monograph by Matthew Jebb and Martin Cheek on the tropical pitcher plants of the genus Nepenthes. It was published in the May 1997 issue of the botanical journal Blumea. The work represented the first revision of the entire genus since John Muirhead...
". They supported Charles Clarke's
Charles Clarke (botanist)
Dr. Charles M. Clarke is a botanist and taxonomist specialising in the carnivorous plant genus Nepenthes. Clarke has an honours degree in Botany from Monash University in Melbourne, and a Ph.D. in Ecosystem Management at the University of New England, in Armidale, New South Wales.Clarke first...
interpretation of N. borneensis and N. faizaliana
Nepenthes faizaliana
Nepenthes faizaliana is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to the limestone cliffs of Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak, Borneo. It is thought to be most closely related to N. boschiana.-Botanical history:...
in Nepenthes of Borneo
Nepenthes of Borneo
Nepenthes of Borneo is a monograph by Charles Clarke on the tropical pitcher plants of Borneo. It was first published in 1997 by Natural History Publications , and reprinted in 2006. Clarke describes it as "primarily an ecological monograph"...
, synonymising the former with N. boschiana
Nepenthes boschiana
Nepenthes boschiana , or Bosch's Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo. It is most closely related to N. faizaliana. Nepenthes borneensis is considered a synonym of this species. Nepenthes boschiana has no known natural hybrids...
and restoring the latter as a distinct species, separate from N. stenophylla
Nepenthes stenophylla
Nepenthes stenophylla , or the Narrow-Leaved Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo. The species produces attractive funnel-shaped pitchers up to 25 cm high...
. In addition, N. philippinensis
Nepenthes philippinensis
Nepenthes philippinensis is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to the Philippines. It is known from Palawan and the Calamian Islands , where it grows at 0–600 m above sea level....
, which the authors had previously considered a doubtful taxon, was treated as distinct. Of the species described since the preparation of their skeletal revision, Cheek and Jebb accepted N. benstonei
Nepenthes benstonei
Nepenthes benstonei is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Peninsular Malaysia, where it occurs at elevations of 450–600 m above sea level...
, N. lavicola
Nepenthes lavicola
Nepenthes lavicola is a tropical pitcher plant species endemic to northern Sumatra. It is thought to be most closely related to N. singalana and N. spectabilis....
, N. mira
Nepenthes mira
Nepenthes mira is a highland pitcher plant endemic to Palawan in the Philippines. It grows at elevations of 1550–1605 m above sea level....
, and N. sibuyanensis
Nepenthes sibuyanensis
Nepenthes sibuyanensis is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sibuyan Island in the Philippines, after which it is named.-Botanical history:...
. However, the authors rejected N. angasanensis
Nepenthes angasanensis
Nepenthes angasanensis is a highland Nepenthes pitcher plant species, native to Sumatra, where it grows at an altitude of 2200 to 2800 m. The status of this taxon is controversial as it is similar in morphology to N. mikei and N. tobaica.The specific epithet refers to Mount Puncak...
, sinking it in synonymy with N. mikei
Nepenthes mikei
Nepenthes mikei is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sumatra. It is characterised by its black mottled lower and upper pitchers. The species is closely related to N. angasanensis and N. tobaica....
.
Taxonomist Jan Schlauer reviewed "Nepenthaceae" in the March 2002 issue of the Carnivorous Plant Newsletter
Carnivorous Plant Newsletter
The Carnivorous Plant Newsletter is the official publication of the International Carnivorous Plant Society , the largest such organization in the world.-History and editorship:...
. He wrote that the monograph "contains essentially the same information as the "skeletal revision" published in 1997". Schlauer also added:
Unfortunately, recent work on previously overlooked type specimens [...] and on Sumatran species [...] was not considered in the present account. Molecular identification and classification methods (removing all ambiguity) would have been more useful than the selection of epitypes to stabilize the names N. stenophyllaNepenthes stenophyllaNepenthes stenophylla , or the Narrow-Leaved Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo. The species produces attractive funnel-shaped pitchers up to 25 cm high...
and N. pilosaNepenthes pilosaNepenthes pilosa is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo. It is characterised by a dense indumentum of long yellow-brown hairs. Pitchers have a distinctive hook-shaped appendage on the underside of the lid...
.
Laura S. Meitzner Yoder gave a positive appraisal of the monograph in the January 2005 issue of Economic Botany
Economic Botany
Economic Botany is an academic journal that deals with the commercial uses of plants, or economic botany. It covers fields such as ethnopharmacology as well as potential new commercial crops....
:
Species descriptions include comprehensive references and characteristics of vegetative and floral parts. As upper and lower pitchers are prominent and important for identification, the authors give ample information about these features. Notes for each species give expert tips on avoiding confusion with similar species, observations on existing collections, and unique ecological notes and anecdotes. These notes make readers feel privy to trail discussions on an expedition with those who know well and appreciate each species in the family.
Well illustrated, with 19 mostly full-page drawings, this volume is indispensable not only for the botanist and horticulturist, but also recommended for botanically inclined travellers who may encounter these curious plants in the wild.
"Nepenthaceae" was also reviewed by Charles Clarke
Charles Clarke (botanist)
Dr. Charles M. Clarke is a botanist and taxonomist specialising in the carnivorous plant genus Nepenthes. Clarke has an honours degree in Botany from Monash University in Melbourne, and a Ph.D. in Ecosystem Management at the University of New England, in Armidale, New South Wales.Clarke first...
in the September 2001 issue of the Bulletin of the Australian Carnivorous Plant Society
Bulletin of the Australian Carnivorous Plant Society
The Bulletin of the Australian Carnivorous Plant Society was a quarterly periodical and the official publication of the Australian Carnivorous Plant Society. Established in April 1982 as Bulletin / South Australian Carnivorous Plant Society, it continued publication until 2003...
.