Nepenthes kerrii
Nepenthes kerrii | |
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Lower pitchers of Nepenthes kerrii | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Caryophyllales |
Family: | Nepenthaceae |
Genus: | Nepenthes |
Species: | N. kerrii
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Binomial name | |
Nepenthes kerrii | |
Synonyms | |
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Nepenthes kerrii is a tropical
In 2024, a group of Malaysian researchers circumscribed the Langkawi plants (N. sp. Langkawi) as Nepenthes ridzaiana.[6][7]
Botanical history
The first known collection of N. kerrii was made by
In January 2008, Catalano made two attempts to reach the site discovered by the rangers. Both proved unsuccessful due to the time and effort involved. That same month Catalano met with Stewart McPherson on the Thai mainland and informed him of the findings. McPherson then travelled to Tarutao National Marine Park on his own. After what he described as "the worst treck of my life", McPherson succeeded in relocating the plants. He returned with seeds and photographs, mostly of the upper pitchers.[4]
The first published description of N. kerrii appeared in volume I of Stewart McPherson's 2009 monograph, Pitcher Plants of the Old World. It was included as an "incompletely diagnosed taxon" under the name N. sp. Trang.[3] McPherson wrote that it was known with certainty only from Thailand, but had also been reported from the Malaysian island of Langkawi. He considered it to be most closely related to N. kampotiana, writing that "[m]ore extensive observations are required in order to determine whether this taxon merely represents variation within N. kampotiana or is a distinct species".[3]
Around this time, Catalano set to work on the formal description of N. kerrii. However, he lacked all the necessary measurements and photographs to complete it and so, in 2009, he once again attempted to reach the wild plants in Tarutao, but this time the expedition was thwarted by torrential rains. Upon returning to Italy, Catalano contacted Trongtham Kruetreepradit, a Thai local, who travelled to the plants during the dry season and provided the information Catalano needed to finish the description.[4]
Nepenthes kerrii was
Description
Nepenthes kerrii is a climbing plant growing to a height of approximately 4 m. The stem is terete and 3–5 mm in diameter. It is typically self-supporting and unbranched.[3] Internodes are up to 8.5 cm long. The stem ranges in colour from green to red.[2]
Leaves are
Rosette and lower pitchers are either wholly
The tubulose upper pitchers are similar in size to their terrestrial counterparts, measuring up to 15 cm in height by 3.5 cm[3] in width. The wings are up to 4 mm wide and spaced 4–6 mm apart. The pitcher mouth is orbicular or broadly ovate and has an oblique insertion. The peristome is lobate and has a distinct neck. The lid as well as other parts of the pitcher are similar to those found in terrestrial traps. Aerial pitchers have a lighter pigmentation than their lower counterparts, being green to yellow on the outer surface. Red blotches are present on the waxy inner surface. The peristome may be yellow or red striped, while the lid is green to yellow and commonly red on its lower surface.[2]
Nepenthes kerrii has a racemose inflorescence up to 130 cm long.[3] In male plants, the inflorescence reaches 90 cm in length, of which the peduncle can constitute up to 65 cm and the rachis up to 27 cm, and bears around 120 flowers singly on pedicels measuring 6–8 mm in length. The androphore is up to 1.5 mm long. Tepals are round or elliptic and up to 4 mm long by 3 mm wide. Those of male flowers may be green or red, whereas those of females are always green. The female inflorescence is similar in structure to the male one, but differs in having a rachis up to 25 cm long with longer pedicels of 10–23 mm.[2] Nepenthes kerrii exhibits modified seed morphology, whereby the seed wings are significantly reduced.[3] This is thought to be an adaptation to the species's island habitat; the lack of prominent seed wings likely serves to prevent strong winds from blowing them into the sea.[3]
An
Like all
Ecology
Nepenthes kerrii is native to
Its typical habitat is open
In Pitcher Plants of the Old World, Stewart McPherson writes that populations of N. kerrii "are extremely inaccessible and not threatened at present".[3]
Related species
Nepenthes kerrii appears to be most closely related to
Nepenthes kerrii can be distinguished from all of these species, with the exception of N. kongkandana, on the basis of its laminae, which are
In their description of N. kerrii, Catalano and Kruetreepradit also note a number of other vegetative features that separate this species from N. kongkandana.[2] The lower pitchers of N. kerrii are narrowly ovate with the hip positioned in the middle or upper portion of the trap, whereas those of N. kongkandana are tubular or slightly ventricose with the hip in the middle or lower portion. Nepenthes kerrii also produces longer tendrils that are two to three times as long as the pitcher; the tendrils of N. kongkandana are similar in length to the pitchers they bear. The peristome of the aerial pitchers is also distinct, being lobed and often striped with a distinct neck in N. kerrii and always lacking these features in N. kongkandana. Finally, the distance between the ventral wings of the upper pitchers is greater in N. kongkandana (10–12 mm versus 4–6 mm).[2]
References
- ^ . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ Nepenthes della Thailandia: Diario di viaggio. Prague. p. 32.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n McPherson, S.R. 2009. Pitcher Plants of the Old World. 2 volumes. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole.
- ^ Nepenthes della Thailandia: Diario di viaggio. Prague.
- ^ Guerini, M. 2011. "2010: new species of Carnivorous Plants" (PDF). Associazione Italiana Piante Carnivore.
- ISBN 9789670250472.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ a b Latiff, A.; Ghazalli, Mohd Norfaizal; Besi, Edward Entalai; Mat Esa, M. E; Go, R.; Sandin, N.; Endot, Mohd. Ridzuwan; Ali, Norulhuda; Perdan, Khairuddin; Yapp, E. J.; Mohd Nor FIrdaus, R. (2024). "Nepenthes ridzaiana and N. x langkawiensis (Nepenthaceae), a new species and a new nothospecies of pitcher plants from Langkawi Island, Malaysia". The Malaysian Forester. 87 (1): 1–9.
- Field Guide to the Pitcher Plants of Peninsular Malaysia and Indochina. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole.
- Nepenthes della Thailandia: Diario di viaggio. Prague. p. 34.
- Nepenthes della Thailandia: Diario di viaggio. Prague. p. 36.
- ^ Mey, F.S. 2009. "Nepenthes bokorensis, a new species of Nepenthaceae from Cambodia" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-23. Carniflora Australis 7(1): 6–15.
- Mey, F.S. 2014. 'Nepenthes of Indochina', my 2010 ICPS lecture now on Youtube. Strange Fruits: A Garden's Chronicle, February 3, 2014.