Nepenthes micramphora
Encyclopedia
Nepenthes micramphora is a tropical pitcher plant
known only from Mount Hamiguitan
on the island of Mindanao
in the Philippines
. It is a highland plant growing at elevations of 1100–1635 m.
The specific epithet micramphora is derived from the Greek
mikros (small) and Latin
amphora (urn), and references the tiny pitchers of this species.
in 2009 by Volker Heinrich
, Stewart McPherson
, Thomas Gronemeyer, and Victor Amoroso. The description was published in the second volume of McPherson's Pitcher Plants of the Old World
. The herbarium
specimen V.Amoroso & R.Aspiras CMUH 00003545 is the designated holotype
, and is deposited at the Central Mindanao University Herbarium
in Musuan
, Bukidnon
, the Philippines
. It was collected on January 31, 2005, from Mount Hamiguitan
, on the trail from San Isidro
, at an altitude of 1300–1600 m.
Inflorescence measurements for the formal description were taken by Volker Heinrich
at the type locality on July 22, 2008, since herbarium material of the floral structures could not be located.
Leaves are sessile and coriaceous in texture. The lamina (leaf blade) is lanceolate-elliptic in shape and reaches 8 cm in length by 1 cm in width. The lamina has an acute apex and is shortly attenuate at the base, clasping the stem for approximately one-third of its circumference. It is not decurrent down the stem. Two to three longitudinal veins are present on either side of the midrib, while pinnate veins are numerous. Tendril
s are up to 7.5 cm long and 1 mm wide.
Rosette and lower pitchers are narrowly ovate in the basal portion and cylindrical or sometimes slightly infundibular above. They are very small, reaching only 4.1 cm in height by 1.6 cm in width. A pair of wings (≤4 mm wide) typically runs down the ventral surface of the pitcher cup, although these may be reduced to ribs. The wings bear fringe elements measuring around 3 mm and spaced 2.5–3 mm apart. Only the basal third of the interior surface of the pitcher is gland
ular. The peristome
is cylindrical and up to 0.8 mm wide, bearing ribs up to 0.1 mm high and spaced 0.1 mm apart. The pitcher lid or operculum
may be elliptic, ovate, or orbicular, and generally has a cordate base. The lid lacks appendages and measures up to 2 cm in length by 1.8 cm in width, being slightly wider than the pitcher mouth. A branched or divided spur (≤3 mm long) is inserted near the base of the lid.
Upper pitchers are produced from an early age. They may be infundibular throughout or narrowly infundibular in their basal part, becoming narrower and roughly cylindrical above. Aerial pitchers are larger than their terrestrial counterparts, growing to 6.7 cm in height by 2 cm in width (although more often around 4 cm by 1.7 cm). The pitcher lid is of the same width as the mouth. Wings are always reduced to ribs. In other respects, upper pitchers are similar to the lower traps.
Nepenthes micramphora has a racemose
inflorescence
measuring up to 35 cm in length by 6 mm in width. The peduncle
itself may be up to 8 cm long and 1 mm wide. Flowers are borne on one-flowered, non-bract
eate pedicels
(3–4 mm long), of which there are between 20 and 40 on the inflorescence. The ovate tepal
s measure up to 2.5 mm in length by 1.2 mm in width. Fruit
s are up to 20 mm long.
The stem, lamina, and pitchers are glabrous. An inconspicuous indumentum
of simple, rusty brown hairs (0.1 mm long) covers the inflorescence.
on the Philippine
island of Mindanao
. Much of the surrounding region has not been explored for Nepenthes, suggesting that this species may be present in other parts of southern Mindanao. Its altitudinal distribution extends from 1100 m above sea level to the summit at 1635 m.
This species grows terrestrially in a wide range of habitats, including upper montane mossy forest, secondary vegetation, ridge tops, cliff sides, and landslide
s. It has also been recorded at the margins of montane forest around the so-called Bonsai Forest
, which is named for its stunted trees. The species is restricted to ultramafic substrates
. While N. micramphora tolerates shady conditions, it grows best under direct sunlight. On Mount Hamiguitan, N. micramphora is sympatric with N. alata
, N. mindanaoensis
, and N. peltata
, and grows in the same altitudinal range as N. hamiguitanensis
. Despite this, no natural hybrids have been observed with certainty.
In his 2009 book, Pitcher Plants of the Old World
, Stewart McPherson
writes that N. micramphora is "not currently threatened" owing to its extensive populations on Mount Hamiguitan and the fact that visitors are only permitted to climb the mountain with the assistance of a guide. The future of wild populations of N. micramphora will be further secured if provincial officials of Davao Oriental
are successful in their bid to gain recognition of Mount Hamiguitan as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
.
of northern Mindanao in terms of the morphology of its stem, lamina, and inflorescence. However, the former is smaller in all respects and can be distinguished on the basis of its pitchers, which differ markedly in shape, size, peristome width, and tendril length. Nepenthes micramphora also produces a greater abundance of pitchers on its rosettes
— up to 7 live traps have been recorded at any one time.
Nepenthes gracilis
also bears a superficial resemblance to N. micramphora in the size and shape of its leaves, but this species is absent from the Philippines.
may represent crosses involving it and N. hamiguitanensis
, N. mindanaoensis
, and N. peltata
. Plants that were originally thought to represent a natural hybrid between N. micramphora and N. peltata are now recognised as belonging to a distinct species of possible hybridogenic origin, N. hamiguitanensis.
Pitcher plant
Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants whose prey-trapping mechanism features a deep cavity filled with liquid known as a pitfall trap. It has been widely assumed that the various sorts of pitfall trap evolved from rolled leaves, with selection pressure favouring more deeply cupped leaves over...
known only from Mount Hamiguitan
Mount Hamiguitan
Mount Hamiguitan is a mountain located in the province of Davao Oriental. It has a height of 1,620 meters . The mountain and its vicinity has one of the most diverse wildlife populations in the Philippines. Among the wildlife found in the area are Philippine eagles and several species of Nepenthes...
on the island of Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
in 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...
. It is a highland plant growing at elevations of 1100–1635 m.
The specific epithet micramphora is derived from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
mikros (small) and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
amphora (urn), and references the tiny pitchers of this species.
Botanical history
Nepenthes micramphora was formally describedSpecies description
A species description or type description is a formal description of a newly discovered species, usually in the form of a scientific paper. Its purpose is to give a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it differs from species which have been described previously, or are...
in 2009 by Volker Heinrich
Volker Heinrich
Volker B. Heinrich is a German naturalist.He studied horticultural sciences at the Technical University of Munich. A self-confessed "nepenthophile", he is a carnivorous plant enthusiast....
, Stewart McPherson
Stewart McPherson (geographer)
Stewart R. McPherson is a British geographer.He studied at the University of Durham in England, the University of Tübingen in Germany and Yale University in the United States....
, Thomas Gronemeyer, and Victor Amoroso. The description was published in the second volume of McPherson's Pitcher Plants of the Old World
Pitcher Plants of the Old World
Pitcher Plants of the Old World is a two-volume monograph by Stewart McPherson on the pitcher plants of the genera Nepenthes and Cephalotus. It was published in May 2009 by Redfern Natural History Productions...
. The herbarium
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...
specimen V.Amoroso & R.Aspiras CMUH 00003545 is the designated holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
, and is deposited at the Central Mindanao University Herbarium
Central Mindanao University
Central Mindanao University is one of the two universities in the province of Bukidnon, Mindanao Island in the Philippines.-History:Central Mindanao University was transformed from a settlement of farm schools organized by the Americans. It started as the Mailag Industrial School in 1910 and...
in Musuan
Musuan
Musuan Peak or Mount Musuan , also known as Mount Calayo is an active volcano on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. It is 4.5 kilometres south of the city of Valencia, province of Bukidnon, and 81 km southeast of Cagayan de Oro City....
, Bukidnon
Bukidnon
Bukidnon is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is Malaybalay City. The province borders, clockwise starting from the north, Misamis Oriental, Agusan del Sur, Davao del Norte, Cotabato, Lanao del Sur, and Lanao del Norte.Bukidnon is...
, 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...
. It was collected on January 31, 2005, from Mount Hamiguitan
Mount Hamiguitan
Mount Hamiguitan is a mountain located in the province of Davao Oriental. It has a height of 1,620 meters . The mountain and its vicinity has one of the most diverse wildlife populations in the Philippines. Among the wildlife found in the area are Philippine eagles and several species of Nepenthes...
, on the trail from San Isidro
San Isidro, Davao Oriental
San Isidro is a 4th class municipality in the province of Davao Oriental, Philippines. It has a land area of 205 km². According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 31,705 people in 6,117 households....
, at an altitude of 1300–1600 m.
Inflorescence measurements for the formal description were taken by Volker Heinrich
Volker Heinrich
Volker B. Heinrich is a German naturalist.He studied horticultural sciences at the Technical University of Munich. A self-confessed "nepenthophile", he is a carnivorous plant enthusiast....
at the type locality on July 22, 2008, since herbarium material of the floral structures could not be located.
Description
Nepenthes micramphora is a climbing plant growing to a height of 2.5 m. The stem is circular in cross section and up to 3.5 mm in diameter, with internodes up to 15 mm long.Tendril
In botany, a tendril is a specialized stem, leaf or petiole with a threadlike shape that is used by climbing plants for support, attachment and cellular invasion by parasitic plants, generally by twining around suitable hosts. They do not have a lamina or blade, but they can photosynthesize...
s are up to 7.5 cm long and 1 mm wide.
Rosette and lower pitchers are narrowly ovate in the basal portion and cylindrical or sometimes slightly infundibular above. They are very small, reaching only 4.1 cm in height by 1.6 cm in width. A pair of wings (≤4 mm wide) typically runs down the ventral surface of the pitcher cup, although these may be reduced to ribs. The wings bear fringe elements measuring around 3 mm and spaced 2.5–3 mm apart. Only the basal third of the interior surface of the pitcher is gland
Gland
A gland is an organ in an animal's body that synthesizes a substance for release of substances such as hormones or breast milk, often into the bloodstream or into cavities inside the body or its outer surface .- Types :...
ular. The peristome
Peristome
The word peristome is derived from the Greek peri, meaning 'around' or 'about', and stoma, 'mouth'. It is a term used to describe various anatomical features that surround an opening to an organ or structure. The term is used in plants and invertebrate animals, such as in describing the shells of...
is cylindrical and up to 0.8 mm wide, bearing ribs up to 0.1 mm high and spaced 0.1 mm apart. The pitcher lid or operculum
Operculum (botany)
An operculum, in botany, is a term generally used to describe a structure within a plant, moss, or fungus acting as a cap, flap, or lid. In plants, it may also be called a bud cap.Examples of structures identified as opercula include:...
may be elliptic, ovate, or orbicular, and generally has a cordate base. The lid lacks appendages and measures up to 2 cm in length by 1.8 cm in width, being slightly wider than the pitcher mouth. A branched or divided spur (≤3 mm long) is inserted near the base of the lid.
Nepenthes micramphora has a racemose
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
measuring up to 35 cm in length by 6 mm in width. The peduncle
Peduncle (botany)
In botany, a peduncle is a stem supporting an inflorescence, or after fecundation, an infructescence.The peduncle is a stem, usually green and without leaves, though sometimes colored or supporting small leaves...
itself may be up to 8 cm long and 1 mm wide. Flowers are borne on one-flowered, non-bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
eate pedicels
Pedicel (botany)
A pedicel is a stem that attaches single flowers to the main stem of the inflorescence. It is the branches or stalks that hold each flower in an inflorescence that contains more than one flower....
(3–4 mm long), of which there are between 20 and 40 on the inflorescence. The ovate tepal
Tepal
Tepals are elements of the perianth, or outer part of a flower, which include the petals or sepals. The term tepal is more often applied specifically when all segments of the perianth are of similar shape and color, or undifferentiated, which is called perigone...
s measure up to 2.5 mm in length by 1.2 mm in width. Fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s are up to 20 mm long.
The stem, lamina, and pitchers are glabrous. An inconspicuous indumentum
Indumentum
The indumentum is a covering of fine hairs or bristles on a plant or insect.In plants, the indumentum types are:*pubescent*hirsute*pilose*villous*tomentose*stellate*scabrous*scurfy...
of simple, rusty brown hairs (0.1 mm long) covers the inflorescence.
Ecology
Nepenthes micramphora has only been recorded from the highland slopes of Mount HamiguitanMount Hamiguitan
Mount Hamiguitan is a mountain located in the province of Davao Oriental. It has a height of 1,620 meters . The mountain and its vicinity has one of the most diverse wildlife populations in the Philippines. Among the wildlife found in the area are Philippine eagles and several species of Nepenthes...
on the Philippine
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...
island of Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
. Much of the surrounding region has not been explored for Nepenthes, suggesting that this species may be present in other parts of southern Mindanao. Its altitudinal distribution extends from 1100 m above sea level to the summit at 1635 m.
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
s. It has also been recorded at the margins of montane forest around the so-called Bonsai Forest
Pygmy forest
A pygmy forest is a forest which, for pedological and geological reasons, contains only miniature trees. Pygmy forests may occur over various world locations with notable occurrences being noted in the literature of the: California coastal terraces and inner coastal mountains of Northern...
, which is named for its stunted trees. The species is restricted to ultramafic substrates
Substrate (biology)
In biology a substrate is the surface a plant or animal lives upon and grows on. A substrate can include biotic or abiotic materials and animals. For example, encrusting algae that lives on a rock can be substrate for another animal that lives on top of the algae. See also substrate .-External...
. While N. micramphora tolerates shady conditions, it grows best under direct sunlight. On Mount Hamiguitan, N. micramphora is sympatric with N. alata
Nepenthes alata
Nepenthes alata is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to the Philippines. It is found on all the major islands of the archipelago, with the possible exception of Palawan. It is one of the easiest and most popular Nepenthes species in cultivation....
, N. mindanaoensis
Nepenthes mindanaoensis
Nepenthes mindanaoensis is a species of pitcher plant endemic to coastal lateritic hills on Mindanao in the Philippines. It is very closely related to N. alata.-Natural hybrids:*N. alata × N. mindanaoensis...
, and N. peltata
Nepenthes peltata
Nepenthes peltata is a tropical pitcher plant known only from the upper slopes of Mount Hamiguitan on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. It is characterised by a peltate tendril attachment and conspicuous indumentum...
, and grows in the same altitudinal range as N. hamiguitanensis
Nepenthes hamiguitanensis
Nepenthes hamiguitanensis is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to a single peak on the Philippine island of Mindanao, where it grows at elevations of 1200–1600 m above sea level. Once thought to be a natural hybrid between N. micramphora and N. peltata, this plant is now considered a...
. Despite this, no natural hybrids have been observed with certainty.
In his 2009 book, Pitcher Plants of the Old World
Pitcher Plants of the Old World
Pitcher Plants of the Old World is a two-volume monograph by Stewart McPherson on the pitcher plants of the genera Nepenthes and Cephalotus. It was published in May 2009 by Redfern Natural History Productions...
, Stewart McPherson
Stewart McPherson (geographer)
Stewart R. McPherson is a British geographer.He studied at the University of Durham in England, the University of Tübingen in Germany and Yale University in the United States....
writes that N. micramphora is "not currently threatened" owing to its extensive populations on Mount Hamiguitan and the fact that visitors are only permitted to climb the mountain with the assistance of a guide. The future of wild populations of N. micramphora will be further secured if provincial officials of Davao Oriental
Davao Oriental
Davao Oriental is a province of the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital is Mati and borders Compostela Valley to the west, and Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur to the north. Davao Oriental is the easternmost province of the country with Pusan Point as the easternmost...
are successful in their bid to gain recognition of Mount Hamiguitan as a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
Related species
Nepenthes micramphora is very similar to N. belliiNepenthes bellii
Nepenthes bellii is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to the Philippine islands of Mindanao and Dinagat, where it grows at elevations of 0–800 m above sea level.The specific epithet bellii honours American botanist Clyde Ritchie Bell....
of northern Mindanao in terms of the morphology of its stem, lamina, and inflorescence. However, the former is smaller in all respects and can be distinguished on the basis of its pitchers, which differ markedly in shape, size, peristome width, and tendril length. Nepenthes micramphora also produces a greater abundance of pitchers on its rosettes
Rosette (botany)
In botany, a rosette is a circular arrangement of leaves, with all the leaves at a single height.Though rosettes usually sit near the soil, their structure is an example of a modified stem.-Function:...
— up to 7 live traps have been recorded at any one time.
Nepenthes 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...
also bears a superficial resemblance to N. micramphora in the size and shape of its leaves, but this species is absent from the Philippines.
Natural hybrids
Nepenthes micramphora has no confirmed natural hybrids, although certain plants from Mount HamiguitanMount Hamiguitan
Mount Hamiguitan is a mountain located in the province of Davao Oriental. It has a height of 1,620 meters . The mountain and its vicinity has one of the most diverse wildlife populations in the Philippines. Among the wildlife found in the area are Philippine eagles and several species of Nepenthes...
may represent crosses involving it and N. hamiguitanensis
Nepenthes hamiguitanensis
Nepenthes hamiguitanensis is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to a single peak on the Philippine island of Mindanao, where it grows at elevations of 1200–1600 m above sea level. Once thought to be a natural hybrid between N. micramphora and N. peltata, this plant is now considered a...
, N. mindanaoensis
Nepenthes mindanaoensis
Nepenthes mindanaoensis is a species of pitcher plant endemic to coastal lateritic hills on Mindanao in the Philippines. It is very closely related to N. alata.-Natural hybrids:*N. alata × N. mindanaoensis...
, and N. peltata
Nepenthes peltata
Nepenthes peltata is a tropical pitcher plant known only from the upper slopes of Mount Hamiguitan on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. It is characterised by a peltate tendril attachment and conspicuous indumentum...
. Plants that were originally thought to represent a natural hybrid between N. micramphora and N. peltata are now recognised as belonging to a distinct species of possible hybridogenic origin, N. hamiguitanensis.