Nepenthes bongso

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Nepenthes bongso

Description

Terrestrial climber to 2 m tall. Leaves thinly coriaceous, sessile, obovate-spathulate to oblanceolate-spathulate, 6-20 by 1.5-4.5 cm, apex rounded or acute, rarely emarginate, peltate or not, base attenuate to more or less parallel-sided, clasping the stem by 1/2 its circumference, subauriculate, not decurrent. Fruit and seed unknown.

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: Sumatera (Sumatera present), Barat present, Utara present
Sumatra: Barat&Utara

Ecology

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Taxonomy

2. Danser in distinguished N. carunculata from N. bongso by the presence of an apical appendage on the lid, and the 2-flowered partial peduncles. Furthermore, the type specimen of N. carunculata at Bogor is a mixed collection, the second sheet bearing a specimen of N. pectinata, which can be identified by its larger laminas with more numerous, and evenly spaced longitudinal veins. Recent collections combine one or other of these distinguishing characters with those of N. bongso (e.g. De Vogel 2826 has a lid appendage and 1-flowered partial peduncles). Each mountain peak in C Sumatra appears to support a slight variant of N. bongso, and we have adopted a rather broad definition of the species. Specimens from Mt Talang have been distinguished as N. talangensis, which may well merit recognition on the basis of photographs we have seen. However, we have not yet viewed the type specimens and for the meantime are leaving it as a synonym of N. bongso. 1 This is one of a Sumatran group of apparently closely related species (the others are: N. aristolochioides, N. diatas, N. densiflora, N. ovata, N. singalana, and N. spathulata). The wholly infundibulate upper pitchers, which are narrowed immediately below the mouth are characteristic of this species, N. densiflora and N. ovata. Nepenthes ovata is distinguished by the appendage on the underside of its lid towards the base, while N. densiflora has more gradually attenuate and narrower leaves (not obovate-spathulate) with an acute or acuminate apex (not sub-peltate), and the abrupt (not gradual) origin of the pitcher from the end of the tendril.

Citation

Sh. Kurata 1973 – In: Gard. Bull. Sing.: 227
Danser 1928 – In: Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg: 272
Sh. Kurata 1973 – In: Gard. Bull. Sing.: 227
Jebb & Cheek 1997 – In: Blumea: 25