Nepenthes ventricosa is a tropical pitcher plant

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...

 endemic to 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...

, where it is a highland species, growing at an elevation of 1000–2000 m above sea level. It has been recorded from the islands of Luzon

Luzon

Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

, Panay

Panay

Panay may refer to*Panay Island*Panay *Panay, Capiz*Panay River*Panay Gulf* USS Panay *Panay incident...

, and Sibuyan

Sibuyan Island

Sibuyan is a crescent-shaped island of Romblon Province, Philippines. It has an area of 445 km². The island has two prominent peaks, Mount Guiting-Guiting with a height of 2,058 m and Mount Nailog with a height of 789 m...

. The pitchers are numerous, growing up to 20 cm tall and ranging in colour from ivory white to red.

Nepenthes ventricosa is very closely related to both N. burkei

Nepenthes burkei

Nepenthes burkei |David Burke]], British plant collector) is a tropical pitcher plant native to the island of Mindoro in the Philippines, where it grows at an elevation of 1100–2000 m. It is very closely related to N. sibuyanensis and N. ventricosa...

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:...

, but can be distinguished by a more waisted middle to the pitchers, a smaller mouth, and, generally, a thinner 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...

.

Infraspecific taxa

• Nepenthes ventricosa f. luteoviridis Y.Fukatsu (1999) nom.nud.
  Nomen nudum
  The phrase nomen nudum is a Latin term, meaning "naked name", used in taxonomy...
  
  

Natural hybrids

• 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. ventricosa [=N. × ventrata]