Nepenthes bokorensis
Nepenthes bokorensis | |
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An upper pitcher of N. bokorensis | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Caryophyllales |
Family: | Nepenthaceae |
Genus: | Nepenthes |
Species: | N. bokorensis
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Binomial name | |
Nepenthes bokorensis | |
Synonyms | |
Nepenthes bokorensis
Botanical history
Despite only being
The next known collection of this species was made by J. E. Vidal in 1965.[note b] It consists of a plant with upper pitchers. Three years later, Marie Martin collected M. Martin 1231bis,[note c] which includes lower pitchers and female floral material. Further herbarium material,[note d] consisting of two rosette plants, was collected by David Middleton and Meng Monyrak in 2001.[1]
In July 2007, François Sockhom Mey found N. bokorensis on Mount Bokor during a field trip to southern
A specimen collected by
Nepenthes bokor, described by Martin Cheek in June 2009,[2] is a later synonym of N. bokorensis.[3][4]
In August 2011, François Mey and Alastair Robinson discovered two large new populations of N. bokorensis on the Mount Bokor massif, which they called "Location B" and "Location C" (the original roadside population being "Location A").[5][6][7][8]
Description
Nepenthes bokorensis is a climbing plant, attaining a height of up to 7 m. In rosettes and on lower parts of the plant, the stem is up to 0.9 cm thick and circular in cross section. On climbing parts, the stem is terete and measures up to 1 cm in diameter. Internodes are around 3 cm long.[1]
Leaves are
Rosette and lower pitchers measure up to 20 cm in height by 6 cm in width. They are
Upper pitchers exhibit great variability in both form and colouration,[9] but generally grow to 25 cm in height by 6 cm in width. They are infundibular throughout, becoming narrower in the basal portion. Wings are reduced to ribs in these aerial pitchers. The peristome is up to 17 mm wide and often somewhat flared at the margins. The peristome ribs are less developed than in lower pitchers, measuring only up to 0.4 mm in height, and spaced only up to 0.5 mm apart. The lid is similar to that found in terrestrial traps, although slightly smaller (up to 6 cm long by 5 cm wide) and often bearing a revolute margin. Other parts of upper pitchers are similar to their lower counterparts.[1]
Nepenthes bokorensis has a
All vegetative and floral parts of N. bokorensis bear an indumentum of silvery or brownish hairs up to 1 mm long. In some places this covering may be reduced, giving an almost glabrous appearance.[1]
It is not certain whether N. bokorensis produces a well-developed rootstock like other
Ecology
Nepenthes bokorensis is known with certainty only from the
The typical habitat of this species is seasonally dry upland
In open areas, N. bokorensis is sometimes
On Mount Bokor, the species grows on sandy, acidic soils. The substrate has a pH of 4.6 according to the herbarium label of Middleton & Monyrak 589.[note d][1]
Carnivory
Ant prey found in 30 pitchers of N. bokorensis growing within 15 m of a forest boundary[17] | ||||
Family | Species | |||
Dolichoderinae | Dolichoderus thoracicus | |||
Iridomyrmex sp. | ||||
Tapinoma sp. | ||||
Formicinae | Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex ) sp.
| |||
Nylanderia sp. | ||||
Paraparatrechina sp. | ||||
Polyrhachis (Myrmhopla) phalerata | ||||
Polyrhachis (Myrma) sp. | ||||
Myrmicinae | Cardiocondyla wroughtonii complex | |||
Pheidole sp. nr. ochracea |
The prey assemblage of N. bokorensis appears to consist primarily of
The ant-trapping habit of N. bokorensis is reflected in the local
The pitcher fluid of this species is strongly acidic; the label on the herbarium specimen Middleton & Monyrak 589[note d] states that it has a pH of 2.7.[1]
Conservation
Cambodia ranks among the countries with the highest
Recently, a new threat has been identified. People, particularly women, have taken to picking the plants and having their photos taken with them because while the leaves are still developing, the mouths of the plants resemble men's genitalia. The Cambodian Ministry of Environment has taken to social media to plead with the public to stop picking the plants, which it says could be driven to extinction if people continue to harvest them, as the pitchers allow the plants to obtain nutrients they cannot obtain otherwise.[21]
Related species
Nepenthes bokorensis is most closely allied to several other
The indumentum of N. bokorensis is also distinctive, and distinguishes it from N. kampotiana, which typically has glabrous leaves. Compared to N. smilesii, N. bokorensis has more robust and colourful pitchers with a broader peristome and longer tendrils. The species differs from the enigmatic N. thorelii in several aspects of vegetative morphology. Firstly, the lamina of N. bokorensis is sessile to sub-petiolate and only slightly decurrent down the stem, if at all.[1] In comparison, N. thorelii has an amplexicaul leaf attachment and the base of the lamina is decurrent into two wings that extend up to 2.5 cm down the stem.[22] In addition, N. thorelii has wholly ovoid lower pitchers,[22] whereas those of N. bokorensis are only ovate in the basal third, becoming cylindrical above.[1]
Nepenthes bokorensis also appears to be closely related to
Notes
- a.
- b.^ Vidal 4780 was collected on December 20, 1965, at an unknown altitude on Mount Bokor. It consists of a plant with upper pitchers and is deposited at the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle (P).[1]
- c.^ M. Martin 1231bis was collected on December 7, 1968, on Mount Bokor at an altitude of 800 m. It includes female floral material and lower pitchers, and is deposited at the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle (P). It is the designated holotype of N. bokorensis.[1]
- d.^ Middleton & Monyrak 589 was collected on March 7, 2001, on Mount Bokor at an altitude of 944 m. It consists of two rosette plants and is deposited at the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle (P).[1]
N. thorelii Lecomte simile, sed foliis longioris latioris oblongis sessilibus vel subpetiolatis basaliter amplexicaulibus peristomio robusto cylindrico pedicellis interdum 2-floribus differt.
- f.^ Aug. Chevalier 36411 was collected on December 15, 1917, from the Dâmrei Mountains of Kampot province. It is deposited at the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle (P).[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am Mey, F.S. 2009. Nepenthes bokorensis, a new species of Nepenthaceae from Cambodia. Carniflora Australis 7(1): 6–15.
- ^
- ^ Mey, F.S. 2009. N. thai, a new species of Nepenthes from Thailand. International Carnivorous Plant Society forums.
- ^ Holden, J. 2010. Introducing some charismatic species of Cambodian flora. Cambodian Journal of Natural History 2010(1): 12–14.
- ^ a b Mey, F.S. 2011. Nepenthes bokorensis 2011 conservation update. Strange Fruits: A Garden's Chronicle, August 28, 2011.
- ^ Mey, F.S. 2011. Nepenthes bokorensis: Location A. 2011 update. Strange Fruits: A Garden's Chronicle, August 28, 2011.
- ^ Mey, F.S. 2011. Nepenthes bokorensis: Location B. 2011 update. Strange Fruits: A Garden's Chronicle, August 28, 2011.
- ^ Mey, F.S. 2011. Nepenthes bokorensis: Location C. 2011 update. Strange Fruits: A Garden's Chronicle, August 29, 2011.
- ^ Mey, F.S. 2014. Highlighting Nepenthes variation within a species. Strange Fruits: A Garden's Chronicle, July 3, 2014.
- ^ Mey, F.S. 2016. The beautiful Nepenthes kampotiana x bokorensis. Strange Fruits: A Garden's Chronicle, 5 October 2016.
- ^ a b c d Mey, F.S. 2011. A stunning population of Drosera peltata on Phnom Bokor. Strange Fruits: A Garden's Chronicle, August 30, 2011.
- ^ Mey, F.S. 2010. Drosera peltata on Mount bokor. Strange Fruits: A Garden's Chronicle, November 5, 2010.
- ^ Mey, F.S. 2011. Utricularia striatula at Popokvil Falls. Strange Fruits: A Garden's Chronicle, August 30, 2011.
- ^ Mey, F.S. 2011. Tiny waves of Utricularia minutissima on Phnom Bokor. Strange Fruits: A Garden's Chronicle, September 8, 2011.
- ^ Mey, F.S. 2011. Swarms of Utricularia odorata. Strange Fruits: A Garden's Chronicle, September 8, 2011.
- ^ Mey, F.S. 2011. The beautiful Utricularia uliginosa. Strange Fruits: A Garden's Chronicle, September 8, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f Hosoishi, S., S.-H. Park, S. Yamane & K. Ogata 2012. Species composition of ant prey of the pitcher plant Nepenthes bokorensis Mey (Nepenthaceae) in Phnom Bokor National Park, Cambodia. Cambodian Journal of Natural History 2012(1): 3–7.
- ^ a b Mey, F.S. 2011. Works on Phnom Bokor. 2011. Strange Fruits: A Garden's Chronicle, August 29, 2011.
- ^ a b Mey, F.S. 2011. The "Bokor City" project. Strange Fruits: A Garden's Chronicle, August 29, 2011.
- ^ Worrell, S. & P. Seangly 2012. City on a hill sparks little talk Archived 2012-04-23 at the Wayback Machine. The Phnom Penh Post, March 16, 2012.
- ^ Pester, Patrick, 2022. "Stop picking carnivorous penis plants, Cambodian environmental officials plead", Live Science, May 17, 2022.
- ^ a b Jebb, M.H.P. & M.R. Cheek 1997. A skeletal revision of Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae). Blumea 42(1): 1–106.
- ^ Nepenthes della Thailandia: Diario di viaggio. Prague. p. 32.
Further reading
- Kosterin, O.E. 2011. Odonata of the Cambodian coastal regions revisited: beginning of dry season in 2010. Archived 2014-02-22 at the Wayback Machine International Dragonfly Fund - Report 40: 1–108.
- Kosterin, O.E. 2012. A rapid survey of Odonata on Bokor Plateau, Preah Monivong National Park, Cambodia. Cambodian Journal of Natural History 2012(1): 75–86.
- McPherson, S.R. & A. Robinson 2012. Field Guide to the Pitcher Plants of Peninsular Malaysia and Indochina. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole.
- Mey, F.S. 2010. Introduction to the pitcher plants (Nepenthes) of Cambodia. Cambodian Journal of Natural History 2010(2): 106–117.
- Mey, F.S. 2014. 'Nepenthes of Indochina', my 2010 ICPS lecture now on Youtube. Strange Fruits: A Garden's Chronicle, February 3, 2014.
- Mey, F.S. 2014. Lecture on Nepenthes bokorensis in French language. Strange Fruits: A Garden's Chronicle, February 21, 2014.
- New Blood: New species discovered in the Greater Mekong. World Wide Fund for Nature.
- Rare Nepenthes Collection Archived 2018-03-06 at the Wayback Machine. Ark of Life.
External links
- Photographs of N. bokorensis at the Carnivorous Plant Photofinder