Nepenthes tentaculata
Encyclopedia
Nepenthes tentaculata or the Fringed Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant
with a very wide distribution across Borneo
and Sulawesi
. It grows at altitudes of 400–2550 m.
The specific epithet tentaculata is derived from the Latin
word tentacula, meaning "tentacles", and refers to the multicellular appendages on the upper surface of the pitcher lid.
by Joseph Dalton Hooker
in his 1873 monograph, "Nepenthaceae
", based on specimens collected by Thomas Lobb
in 1853.
In subsequent years, N. tentaculata was featured in a number of publications by eminent botanists such as Frederick William Burbidge
(1882), Odoardo Beccari
(1886), Ernst Wunschmann (1891), Otto Stapf
(1894), Günther Beck von Mannagetta und Lerchenau (1895), Jacob Gijsbert Boerlage (1900), Elmer Drew Merrill
(1921), and Frederik Endert
(1925).
John Muirhead Macfarlane
's 1908 monograph included a revised description and illustration of the species. Macfarlane also wrote about N. tentaculata in the Journal of the Linnean Society in 1914.
An emended Latin diagnosis and botanical description of N. tentaculata were provided by B. H. Danser
in his seminal monograph "The Nepenthaceae of the Netherlands Indies
", published in 1928.
Two infraspecific taxa have been described:
s are circular to triangular in cross section and up to 10 cm long.
The leaves of this species are sessile. The lamina or leaf blade is lanceolate to elliptic in shape and up to 15 cm long by 3 cm wide. Its apex is rounded to acute, while the base is amplexicaul and cordate, encircling the stem. Up to 4 longitudinal veins are present on either side of the midrib. Pinnate veins are irregularly reticulate. Tendril
s are up to 15 cm long.
The pitchers of N. tentaculata are generally quite small, rarely exceeding 15 cm in height. However, in exceptional specimens they may be up to 30 cm high by 8 cm wide. Rosette and lower pitchers are ovoid in the basal third and cylindrical above. Upper pitchers are more cylindrical throughout. A pair of fringed wings runs down the front of lower pitchers, while in upper pitchers these are often reduced to ribs. The pitcher mouth is usually ovate, becoming acute at the front and rear. Its insertion very oblique. The peristome
is roughly cylindrical in cross section and up to 5 mm wide. It bears small ribs and its inner margin is lined with tiny teeth. The pitcher lid or operculum
is ovate and typically obtuse. Often, numerous filiform appendages are present on the upper surface of the lid, concentrated near the edge. However, some forms of the species lack these structures altogether.
Nepenthes tentaculata has a racemose
inflorescence
. The peduncle
is up to 15 cm long and the rachis
up to 10 cm long, although female inflorescences are generally shorter than male ones. Pedicels
are bract
-less and reach 10 mm in length. Sepal
s are oblong-lanceolate in shape and up to 3 mm long. A study of 210 pollen
samples taken from a herbarium specimen (Mjöberg 49, collected in Borneo at an altitude of 1700 m) found the mean pollen diameter to be 29.8 μm
(SE
= 0.4; CV
= 9.4%).
Nepenthes tentaculata has no indumentum
(hairs); all parts of the plant are glabrous.
Nepenthes tentaculata has a wide distribution that covers Borneo
and Sulawesi
. It is particularly widespread in the former, where it has been recorded from almost every mountain exceeding 1000 m. It usually grows at altitudes of between 1200 and 2550 m above sea level. However, on coastal mountains such as Mount Silam in Sabah
and Mount Santubong
in Sarawak
, N. tentaculata has been found at elevations as low as 740 m, and sometimes even down to 400 m.
The species typically inhabits mossy forest, although it has also been recorded from ridge-top vegetation on mountain summits. Unlike many other Nepenthes species, N. tentaculata does not occur as an epiphyte
; it always grows terrestrially. Plants often grow in clumps of Sphagnum
moss
, spreading vegetatively via creeping subterranean stems.
The conservation status
of N. tentaculata is listed as Least Concern
on the 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
based on an assessment carried out in 2000. This agrees with an informal assessment made by Charles Clarke
in 1997, who also classified the species as Least Concern based on the IUCN
criteria. In 1995, the World Conservation Monitoring Centre
classified N. tentaculata as "not threatened".
and Sulawesi
: N. glabrata
, N. hamata
, N. muluensis
, and N. murudensis
.
Nepenthes tentaculata is most easily confused with N. muluensis. The lower pitchers of these species are almost identical, but those of N. muluensis have a rounder mouth. The climbing stem, growth habit and leaves are also similar, although N. muluensis usually has a narrower lamina. However, the upper pitchers of N. muluensis are distinctive; they usually have a white lid, a round mouth, and their wings are either greatly reduced or absent altogether.
Nepenthes tentaculata is also similar to N. murudensis, which is often described as resembling a giant form of the species. Nepenthes murudensis differs in lacking filiform hairs on the upper surface of the lid, being more robust in all respects, and having a dense indumentum
on inflorescence
s and some vegetative parts. However, a number of populations of N. tentaculata from northern Sarawak
produce pitchers exceeding 20 cm in height and these may be very similar in appearance to N. murudensis. Nepenthes murudensis also differs in that its aerial pitchers lack wings. Although N. tentaculata is variable in this respect, plants from Mount Murud usually produce upper pitchers with wings.
The following natural hybrids involving N. tentaculata have been recorded.
in 1993 by J. H. Adam
, C. C. Wilcock
, and M. D. Swaine. The authors distinguished the taxon
from N. muluensis on the basis of its branched spur
and the presence of fringe hairs on the top of the lid. They also compared the distribution of phenol
ic compounds
in the leaves of N. muluensis and the hybrid, although they did so without specifying the number of plants studied or the number of repetitions performed. As a result, doubts have been raised over the existence of this hybrid. Charles Clarke
writes that the authors described N. × sarawakiensis "in such a way that their work cannot be easily repeated". Although this natural hybrid is likely to exist, it is possible that N. × sarawakiensis was described based on specimens of N. muluensis with lower pitchers.
In 2002, phytochemical screening
and analytical chromatography were used to study the presence of phenolic compounds and leucoanthocyanins in N. × sarawakiensis and its putative parent species. The research was based on leaf material from dry herbarium specimens. Eight spots containing phenolic acid
s, flavonols, flavones, leucoanthocyanins and 'unknown flavonoid
s' 1 and 3 were identified from chromatographic profiles. The distributions of these in N. × sarawakiensis, N. muluensis and N. tentaculata are shown in the table to the left. A specimen of N. × sarawakiensis grown from tissue culture
(in vitro
) was also tested.
Phenolic acid, 'Unknown Flavonoid 1' and cyanidin
were undetected in N. muluensis, while N. tentaculata lacked quercetin
, luteolin
, 'Unknown Flavonoid 3', and cyanidin. Chromatographic patterns of the N. × sarawakiensis samples studied showed complementation of its putative parental species.
Myricetin
was found to be absent from all studied taxa. This agrees with the findings of previous authors and suggests that the absence of a widely distributed compound like myricetin among the Nepenthes examined might provide additional diagnostic information for these taxa
.
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...
with a very wide distribution across 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....
and Sulawesi
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
. It grows at altitudes of 400–2550 m.
The specific epithet tentaculata is derived from the 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...
word tentacula, meaning "tentacles", and refers to the multicellular appendages on the upper surface of the pitcher lid.
Botanical history
Nepenthes tentaculata 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...
by Joseph Dalton Hooker
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker OM, GCSI, CB, MD, FRS was one of the greatest British botanists and explorers of the 19th century. Hooker was a founder of geographical botany, and Charles Darwin's closest friend...
in his 1873 monograph, "Nepenthaceae
Nepenthaceae (1873 monograph)
"Nepenthaceae" is a monograph by Joseph Dalton Hooker on the tropical pitcher plants of the genus Nepenthes. It was published in 1873 in the seventeenth and final volume of Augustin Pyramus de Candolle's Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis, which was edited by Augustin's son, Alphonse...
", based on specimens collected by Thomas Lobb
Thomas Lobb
Thomas Lobb was a British botanist and, along with his older brother, William Lobb, collected plants for the plant nursery Veitch....
in 1853.
In subsequent years, N. tentaculata was featured in a number of publications by eminent botanists such as Frederick William Burbidge
Frederick William Burbidge
Frederick William Thomas Burbidge was a British explorer who collected many rare tropical plants for the famous Veitch Nurseries. Burbidge's first job was as a gardener at Kew Gardens...
(1882), Odoardo Beccari
Odoardo Beccari
Odoardo Beccari was an Italian naturalist perhaps best known for discovering the titan arum, the plant with the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world, in Sumatra in 1878...
(1886), Ernst Wunschmann (1891), Otto Stapf
Otto Stapf
Otto Stapf FRS was an Austrian born botanist and taxonomist.Stapf trained in Vienna, moving to Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in 1890. He was keeper of the Herbarium from 1909 to 1920...
(1894), Günther Beck von Mannagetta und Lerchenau (1895), Jacob Gijsbert Boerlage (1900), Elmer Drew Merrill
Elmer Drew Merrill
Elmer Drew Merrill was an American botanist, specializing in the flora of the Asia-Pacific region.He was born in East Auburn, Maine, and attended the University of Maine where he received a B.S. in 1898...
(1921), and Frederik Endert
Frederik Endert
Frederik Hendrik Endert was a Dutch botanist and plant collector.In 1915, Endert was appointed a Forest Officer in the Dutch East Indies Forest Service. From 1918 onwards he worked closely with the Forest Research Institute at Buitenzorg , Java...
(1925).
John Muirhead Macfarlane
John Muirhead Macfarlane
John Muirhead Macfarlane was a Scottish botanist. He was born and educated in Scotland, where he occupied several different academic positions at the University of Edinburgh before emigrating to the United States to assume a professorial chair at the University of Pennsylvania in 1893. He held...
's 1908 monograph included a revised description and illustration of the species. Macfarlane also wrote about N. tentaculata in the Journal of the Linnean Society in 1914.
An emended Latin diagnosis and botanical description of N. tentaculata were provided by B. H. Danser
B. H. Danser
Benedictus Hubertus Danser , often abbreviated B. H. Danser, was a Dutch taxonomist and botanist...
in his seminal monograph "The Nepenthaceae of the Netherlands Indies
The Nepenthaceae of the Netherlands Indies
"The Nepenthaceae of the Netherlands Indies" is a seminal monograph by B. H. Danser on the tropical pitcher plants of the Dutch East Indies, North Borneo, the Malay Peninsula, and eastern New Guinea...
", published in 1928.
Two infraspecific taxa have been described:
- Nepenthes tentaculata var. imberbis Becc. (1886)
- Nepenthes tentaculata var. tomentosa Macf. (1908)
Description
Nepenthes tentaculata is a climbing plant. The stem may reach a length of 3 m and is up to 5 mm in diameter. InternodePlant stem
A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes, the nodes hold buds which grow into one or more leaves, inflorescence , conifer cones, roots, other stems etc. The internodes distance one node from another...
s are circular to triangular in cross section and up to 10 cm 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 15 cm long.
The pitchers of N. tentaculata are generally quite small, rarely exceeding 15 cm in height. However, in exceptional specimens they may be up to 30 cm high by 8 cm wide. Rosette and lower pitchers are ovoid in the basal third and cylindrical above. Upper pitchers are more cylindrical throughout. A pair of fringed wings runs down the front of lower pitchers, while in upper pitchers these are often reduced to ribs. The pitcher mouth is usually ovate, becoming acute at the front and rear. Its insertion very oblique. 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 roughly cylindrical in cross section and up to 5 mm wide. It bears small ribs and its inner margin is lined with tiny teeth. 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:...
is ovate and typically obtuse. Often, numerous filiform appendages are present on the upper surface of the lid, concentrated near the edge. However, some forms of the species lack these structures altogether.
Nepenthes tentaculata 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...
. 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...
is up to 15 cm long and the rachis
Rachis
Rachis is a biological term for a main axis or "shaft".-In zoology:In vertebrates a rachis can refer to the series of articulated vertebrae, which encase the spinal cord. In this case the rachis usually form the supporting axis of the body and is then called the spine or vertebral column...
up to 10 cm long, although female inflorescences are generally shorter than male ones. 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....
are 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...
-less and reach 10 mm in length. Sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s are oblong-lanceolate in shape and up to 3 mm long. A study of 210 pollen
Pollen
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
samples taken from a herbarium specimen (Mjöberg 49, collected in Borneo at an altitude of 1700 m) found the mean pollen diameter to be 29.8 μm
Micrometre
A micrometer , is by definition 1×10-6 of a meter .In plain English, it means one-millionth of a meter . Its unit symbol in the International System of Units is μm...
(SE
Standard error (statistics)
The standard error is the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of a statistic. The term may also be used to refer to an estimate of that standard deviation, derived from a particular sample used to compute the estimate....
= 0.4; CV
Coefficient of variation
In probability theory and statistics, the coefficient of variation is a normalized measure of dispersion of a probability distribution. It is also known as unitized risk or the variation coefficient. The absolute value of the CV is sometimes known as relative standard deviation , which is...
= 9.4%).
Nepenthes tentaculata has no 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...
(hairs); all parts of the plant are glabrous.
Ecology
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....
and Sulawesi
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
. It is particularly widespread in the former, where it has been recorded from almost every mountain exceeding 1000 m. It usually grows at altitudes of between 1200 and 2550 m above sea level. However, on coastal mountains such as Mount Silam in Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
and Mount Santubong
Mount Santubong
Mount Santubong is a mountain in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is located about 35 km north of the state capital Kuching.On a clear day, it can be seen from Kuching. The mountain and its surrounding area is a popular tourist attraction....
in Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
, N. tentaculata has been found at elevations as low as 740 m, and sometimes even down to 400 m.
The species typically inhabits mossy forest, although it has also been recorded from ridge-top vegetation on mountain summits. Unlike many other Nepenthes species, N. tentaculata does not occur as an epiphyte
Epiphyte
An epiphyte is a plant that grows upon another plant non-parasitically or sometimes upon some other object , derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and sometimes from debris accumulating around it, and is found in the temperate zone and in the...
; it always grows terrestrially. Plants often grow in clumps of Sphagnum
Sphagnum
Sphagnum is a genus of between 151 and 350 species of mosses commonly called peat moss, due to its prevalence in peat bogs and mires. A distinction is made between sphagnum moss, the live moss growing on top of a peat bog on one hand, and sphagnum peat moss or sphagnum peat on the other, the...
moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
, spreading vegetatively via creeping subterranean stems.
The conservation status
Conservation status
The conservation status of a group of organisms indicates whether the group is still extant and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future...
of N. tentaculata is listed as Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
on the 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
based on an assessment carried out in 2000. This agrees with an informal assessment made 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 1997, who also classified the species as Least Concern based on the IUCN
World Conservation Union
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources is an international organization dedicated to finding "pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges." The organization publishes the IUCN Red List, compiling information from a network of...
criteria. In 1995, the World Conservation Monitoring Centre
World Conservation Monitoring Centre
The United Nations Environment Programme's World Conservation Monitoring Centre is an executive agency of the United Nations Environment Programme, based in Cambridge in the United Kingdom. UNEP-WCMC has been part of UNEP since 2000, and has responsibility for biodiversity assessment and support...
classified N. tentaculata as "not threatened".
Related species
Nepenthes tentaculata belongs to what has been called the "Hamata group", which also includes four other closely related species from BorneoBorneo
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....
and Sulawesi
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
: N. glabrata
Nepenthes glabrata
Nepenthes glabrata is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sulawesi. The species grows in open, high forest at elevations of 1600 to 2100 m. It produces dainty, colourful pitchers reaching only a few centimetres in height...
, N. hamata
Nepenthes hamata
Nepenthes hamata is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sulawesi, where it grows at elevations of 1400–2500 m above sea level.The specific epithet hamata is derived from the Latin word hamatus, meaning "hooked"...
, N. muluensis
Nepenthes muluensis
Nepenthes muluensis , or the Mulu Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo. It grows in highland habitats at elevations of 1700 to 2400 m above sea level.-Botanical history:...
, and N. murudensis
Nepenthes murudensis
Nepenthes murudensis , or the Murud Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Mount Murud in Borneo, after which it is named. It is of putative hybrid origin: its two original parent species are thought to be N. reinwardtiana and N...
.
Nepenthes tentaculata is most easily confused with N. muluensis. The lower pitchers of these species are almost identical, but those of N. muluensis have a rounder mouth. The climbing stem, growth habit and leaves are also similar, although N. muluensis usually has a narrower lamina. However, the upper pitchers of N. muluensis are distinctive; they usually have a white lid, a round mouth, and their wings are either greatly reduced or absent altogether.
Nepenthes tentaculata is also similar to N. murudensis, which is often described as resembling a giant form of the species. Nepenthes murudensis differs in lacking filiform hairs on the upper surface of the lid, being more robust in all respects, and having a dense 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...
on 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...
s and some vegetative parts. However, a number of populations of N. tentaculata from northern Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
produce pitchers exceeding 20 cm in height and these may be very similar in appearance to N. murudensis. Nepenthes murudensis also differs in that its aerial pitchers lack wings. Although N. tentaculata is variable in this respect, plants from Mount Murud usually produce upper pitchers with wings.
Natural hybrids
- N. burbidgeaeNepenthes burbidgeaeNepenthes burbidgeae , also known as the painted pitcher plant or Burbidge's Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant with a patchy distribution around Mount Kinabalu and neighbouring Mount Tambuyukon in Sabah, Borneo.-Botanical history:...
× N. tentaculata - N. fuscaNepenthes fuscaNepenthes fusca , or the Dusky Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo. It is found throughout a wide altitudinal range and is almost always epiphytic in nature, primarily growing in mossy forest....
× N. tentaculata - N. glabrataNepenthes glabrataNepenthes glabrata is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sulawesi. The species grows in open, high forest at elevations of 1600 to 2100 m. It produces dainty, colourful pitchers reaching only a few centimetres in height...
× N. tentaculata - N. hamataNepenthes hamataNepenthes hamata is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sulawesi, where it grows at elevations of 1400–2500 m above sea level.The specific epithet hamata is derived from the Latin word hamatus, meaning "hooked"...
× N. tentaculata - ? N. lowiiNepenthes lowiiNepenthes lowii , or Low's Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo. It is named after Hugh Low, who discovered it on Mount Kinabalu...
× N. tentaculata - N. macrovulgarisNepenthes macrovulgarisNepenthes macrovulgaris , or the Serpentine Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo. It is a lowland plant that typically grows at altitudes ranging from 300 to 1200 m in sub-montane forest clearings and mossy forest...
× N. tentaculata - N. muluensisNepenthes muluensisNepenthes muluensis , or the Mulu Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo. It grows in highland habitats at elevations of 1700 to 2400 m above sea level.-Botanical history:...
× N. tentaculata [=N. × sarawakiensis] - N. rajahNepenthes rajahNepenthes rajah is an insectivorous pitcher plant species of the Nepenthaceae family. It is endemic to Mount Kinabalu and neighbouring Mount Tambuyukon in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Nepenthes rajah grows exclusively on serpentine substrates, particularly in areas of seeping ground water where the...
× N. tentaculata - N. reinwardtianaNepenthes reinwardtianaNepenthes reinwardtiana , Reinwardt's Pitcher-Plant, is a Nepenthes species found on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Although some sources have included Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore within the range of this species, these records appear to be erroneous.Nepenthes reinwardtiana has an...
× N. tentaculata [=?N. murudensisNepenthes murudensisNepenthes murudensis , or the Murud Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Mount Murud in Borneo, after which it is named. It is of putative hybrid origin: its two original parent species are thought to be N. reinwardtiana and N...
] - 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...
× N. tentaculata
Nepenthes × sarawakensis
The natural hybrid N. muluensis × N. tentaculata was described as N. × sarawakiensisNepenthes × sarawakiensis
Nepenthes × sarawakiensis is a natural hybrid involving N. muluensis and N. tentaculata. It is quite a rare plant as one of its parent species, N. muluensis, is only known from several isolated mountains.-References:...
in 1993 by J. H. Adam
J. H. Adam
Jumaat Haji Adam is a botanist and taxonomist specialising in the carnivorous pitcher plant genus Nepenthes.Adam has described numerous Nepenthes taxa, mostly with C. C. Wilcock, including the species N. faizaliana and N. mapuluensis, as well as the natural hybrids N. × alisaputrana, N. ×...
, C. C. Wilcock
C. C. Wilcock
Christopher C. Wilcock is a taxonomist specialising in the carnivorous pitcher plant genus Nepenthes.Together with J. H. Adam, Wilcock has described several Nepenthes taxa, including the species N. faizaliana and N. mapuluensis, as well as the natural hybrids N. × alisaputrana and N. ×...
, and M. D. Swaine. The authors distinguished the taxon
Taxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
from N. muluensis on the basis of its branched spur
Spur (biology)
A spur in botany is a spike, usually part of a flower.In certain plants, part of a sepal or petal develops into an elongated hollow spike extending behind the flower, containing nectar which is sucked by long-tongued animals . Plants with such structures include Delphinium, Aquilegia, Piperia, and...
and the presence of fringe hairs on the top of the lid. They also compared the distribution of phenol
Natural phenol
Natural phenols, bioavailable phenols, plant phenolics, low molecular weight phenols or phenoloids are a class of natural products. They are small molecules containing one or more phenolic group. These molecules are smaller in size than polyphenols, containing less than 12 phenolic groups...
ic compounds
Chemical compound
A chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together...
in the leaves of N. muluensis and the hybrid, although they did so without specifying the number of plants studied or the number of repetitions performed. As a result, doubts have been raised over the existence of this hybrid. 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...
writes that the authors described N. × sarawakiensis "in such a way that their work cannot be easily repeated". Although this natural hybrid is likely to exist, it is possible that N. × sarawakiensis was described based on specimens of N. muluensis with lower pitchers.
| Distribution of phenolic compounds and leucoanthocyanins in N. muluensis, N. tentaculata, and N. × sarawakiensis |
|||||||||
| Taxon | Specimen | ||||||||
| N. muluensis Nepenthes muluensis Nepenthes muluensis , or the Mulu Pitcher-Plant, is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Borneo. It grows in highland habitats at elevations of 1700 to 2400 m above sea level.-Botanical history:... |
Jumaat 2400 | ||||||||
| N. tentaculata | Jumaat 2392 | ||||||||
| N. × sarawakiensis Nepenthes × sarawakiensis Nepenthes × sarawakiensis is a natural hybrid involving N. muluensis and N. tentaculata. It is quite a rare plant as one of its parent species, N. muluensis, is only known from several isolated mountains.-References:... |
|||||||||
| N. × sarawakiensis (in vitro In vitro In vitro refers to studies in experimental biology that are conducted using components of an organism that have been isolated from their usual biological context in order to permit a more detailed or more convenient analysis than can be done with whole organisms. Colloquially, these experiments... ) |
|||||||||
| Key: 1: Phenolic acid Phenolic acid Phenolic acids are a type of organic compounds. Included in that class are substances containing a phenolic ring and an organic carboxylic acid function .... , 2: Ellagic acid Ellagic acid Ellagic acid is a natural phenol antioxidant found in numerous fruits and vegetables including blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, walnuts, pecans, pomegranates, wolfberry and other plant foods... , 3: Quercetin Quercetin Quercetin , a flavonol, is a plant-derived flavonoid found in fruits, vegetables, leaves and grains. It also may be used as an ingredient in supplements, beverages or foods.-Occurrence:... , 4: Kaempferol Kaempferol Kaempferol is a natural flavonol, a type of flavonoid, that has been isolated from tea, broccoli, Delphinium, Witch-hazel, grapefruit,cabbage, kale, beans, endive, leek, tomato, strawberries, grapes, brussels sprouts, apples and other plant sources. Kaempferol is a yellow crystalline solid with a... , 5: Luteolin Luteolin Luteolin is a yellow crystalline compound. It is a flavonoid; to be specific, it is one of the more common flavones. From preliminary research, it is thought to play a role in the human body possibly as an antioxidant, a free radical scavenger, a promoter of carbohydrate metabolism, or an immune... , 6: 'Unknown Flavonoid Flavonoid Flavonoids , are a class of plant secondary metabolites.... 1', 7: 'Unknown Flavonoid 3', 8: Cyanidin Cyanidin Cyanidin is a natural organic compound. It is a particular type of anthocyanidin . It is a pigment found in many red berries including but not limited to grapes, bilberry, blackberry, blueberry, cherry, cranberry, elderberry, hawthorn, loganberry, acai berry and raspberry... ±: very weak spot, +: weak spot, ++: strong spot, 3+: very strong spot, -: absent |
|||||||||
In 2002, phytochemical screening
Phytochemical
Phytochemicals are biologically active chemical compounds that occur naturally in plants . Phytochemicals are the molecules responsible for the color and organoleptic properties . For example, the deep purple color of blueberries and the smell of garlic...
and analytical chromatography were used to study the presence of phenolic compounds and leucoanthocyanins in N. × sarawakiensis and its putative parent species. The research was based on leaf material from dry herbarium specimens. Eight spots containing phenolic acid
Phenolic acid
Phenolic acids are a type of organic compounds. Included in that class are substances containing a phenolic ring and an organic carboxylic acid function ....
s, flavonols, flavones, leucoanthocyanins and 'unknown flavonoid
Flavonoid
Flavonoids , are a class of plant secondary metabolites....
s' 1 and 3 were identified from chromatographic profiles. The distributions of these in N. × sarawakiensis, N. muluensis and N. tentaculata are shown in the table to the left. A specimen of N. × sarawakiensis grown from tissue culture
Tissue culture
Tissue culture is the growth of tissues or cells separate from the organism. This is typically facilitated via use of a liquid, semi-solid, or solid growth medium, such as broth or agar...
(in vitro
In vitro
In vitro refers to studies in experimental biology that are conducted using components of an organism that have been isolated from their usual biological context in order to permit a more detailed or more convenient analysis than can be done with whole organisms. Colloquially, these experiments...
) was also tested.
Phenolic acid, 'Unknown Flavonoid 1' and cyanidin
Cyanidin
Cyanidin is a natural organic compound. It is a particular type of anthocyanidin . It is a pigment found in many red berries including but not limited to grapes, bilberry, blackberry, blueberry, cherry, cranberry, elderberry, hawthorn, loganberry, acai berry and raspberry...
were undetected in N. muluensis, while N. tentaculata lacked quercetin
Quercetin
Quercetin , a flavonol, is a plant-derived flavonoid found in fruits, vegetables, leaves and grains. It also may be used as an ingredient in supplements, beverages or foods.-Occurrence:...
, luteolin
Luteolin
Luteolin is a yellow crystalline compound. It is a flavonoid; to be specific, it is one of the more common flavones. From preliminary research, it is thought to play a role in the human body possibly as an antioxidant, a free radical scavenger, a promoter of carbohydrate metabolism, or an immune...
, 'Unknown Flavonoid 3', and cyanidin. Chromatographic patterns of the N. × sarawakiensis samples studied showed complementation of its putative parental species.
Myricetin
Myricetin
Myricetin is a naturally occurring flavonol, a flavonoid found in many grapes, berries, fruits, vegetables, herbs, as well as other plants. Walnuts are a rich dietary source. Trace amounts can be found as glycosides. It is one of the phenolic compounds present in red wine.Myricetin has antioxidant...
was found to be absent from all studied taxa. This agrees with the findings of previous authors and suggests that the absence of a widely distributed compound like myricetin among the Nepenthes examined might provide additional diagnostic information for these taxa
Taxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
.
Further reading
- Adam, J.H., C.C. Wilcock & M.D. Swaine 1989. Ecology and taxonomy of Bornean Nepenthes. University of Aberdeen Tropical Biology Newsletter 56: 2–4.
- Adam, J.H., C.C. Wilcock & M.D. Swaine 1992. Journal of Tropical Forest Science 5(1): 13–25.
- Adam, J.H. 1997. Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science 20(2–3): 121–134.
- Adam, J. H., R. Omar & C. C. Wilcock 2002. OnLine Journal of Biological Sciences 2(9): 623–625. doi:10.3923/jbs.2002.623.625
- Beaman, J.H. & C. Anderson 2004. The Plants of Mount Kinabalu: 5. Dicotyledon Families Magnoliaceae to Winteraceae. Natural History Publications (Borneo), Kota Kinabalu.
- Bourke, G. 2007. Trekking to Gunung Mulu. Victorian Carnivorous Plant Society JournalVictorian Carnivorous Plant Society JournalThe Victorian Carnivorous Plant Society Journal is a quarterly periodical and the official publication of the Victorian Carnivorous Plant Society of Australia. Typical articles include matters of horticultural interest, field reports, literature reviews, and plant descriptions. The journal was...
83: 9–11. - Bourke, G. 2011. The Nepenthes of Mulu National Park. Carniflora AustralisCarniflora AustralisCarniflora Australis is a biannual English-language periodical and the official publication of the Australasian Carnivorous Plant Society. Typical articles include matters of horticultural interest, field reports, and scientific studies. The journal was established in March 2003...
8(1): 20–31. - Hanbury-Tenison, A.R. & A.C. Jermy 1979. The Rgs Expedition to Gunong Mulu, Sarawak 1977-78. The Geographical Journal 145(2): 175–191.
- Kurata, S. 1976. Nepenthes of Mount KinabaluNepenthes of Mount KinabaluNepenthes of Mount Kinabalu is a monograph by Shigeo Kurata on the tropical pitcher plants of Mount Kinabalu and the surrounding area of Kinabalu National Park in Sabah, Borneo. It was published in 1976 by Sabah National Parks Trustees as the second booklet of the Sabah National Parks series...
. Sabah National Parks Publications No. 2, Sabah National Parks Trustees, Kota Kinabalu. - Lee, C.C. 2002. Proceedings of the 4th International Carnivorous Plant Conference, Hiroshima University, Tokyo: 25–30.
- Lowrie, A. 1983. Carnivorous Plant NewsletterCarnivorous Plant NewsletterThe Carnivorous Plant Newsletter is the official publication of the International Carnivorous Plant Society , the largest such organization in the world.-History and editorship:...
12(4): 88–95. Mansur, M. 2001. In: Prosiding Seminar Hari Cinta Puspa dan Satwa Nasional. Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia, Bogor. pp. 244–253. - Sacilotto, R. 2004. Experiments with highland Nepenthes seedlings: A Summary of Measured Tolerances. Carnivorous Plant NewsletterCarnivorous Plant NewsletterThe Carnivorous Plant Newsletter is the official publication of the International Carnivorous Plant Society , the largest such organization in the world.-History and editorship:...
33(1): 26–31. - Taylor, D.W. 1982. Carnivorous Plant NewsletterCarnivorous Plant NewsletterThe Carnivorous Plant Newsletter is the official publication of the International Carnivorous Plant Society , the largest such organization in the world.-History and editorship:...
11(4): 89–92. - Thong, J. 2006. Victorian Carnivorous Plant Society JournalVictorian Carnivorous Plant Society JournalThe Victorian Carnivorous Plant Society Journal is a quarterly periodical and the official publication of the Victorian Carnivorous Plant Society of Australia. Typical articles include matters of horticultural interest, field reports, literature reviews, and plant descriptions. The journal was...
81: 12–17. - Thong, J. 2006. Victorian Carnivorous Plant Society JournalVictorian Carnivorous Plant Society JournalThe Victorian Carnivorous Plant Society Journal is a quarterly periodical and the official publication of the Victorian Carnivorous Plant Society of Australia. Typical articles include matters of horticultural interest, field reports, literature reviews, and plant descriptions. The journal was...
82: 6–12. - Thorogood, C. 2010. The Malaysian Nepenthes: Evolutionary and Taxonomic Perspectives. Nova Science Publishers, New York.
- Toyoda, Y. 1972. Carnivorous Plant NewsletterCarnivorous Plant NewsletterThe Carnivorous Plant Newsletter is the official publication of the International Carnivorous Plant Society , the largest such organization in the world.-History and editorship:...
1(4): 62–63.
External links
- Danser, B.H. 1928. 44. Nepenthes tentaculata HOOK. F. In: The Nepenthaceae of the Netherlands IndiesThe Nepenthaceae of the Netherlands Indies"The Nepenthaceae of the Netherlands Indies" is a seminal monograph by B. H. Danser on the tropical pitcher plants of the Dutch East Indies, North Borneo, the Malay Peninsula, and eastern New Guinea...
. Bulletin du Jardin Botanique de Buitenzorg, Série III, 9(3–4): 249–438.