Nepenthes edwardsiana
Content
Description
Terrestrial or epiphytic, climbing shrub to 15 m tall.
Leaves coriaceous, petiolate;
Fruit valves 20 mm long.
Seed fusiform, 8 mm long, central part smooth.
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: Borneo present (Sabah present), Mt Kinabalu present, Mt Tambuyukon present
Borneo: Sabah (Mt Kinabalu and Mt Tambuyukon).
Notes
1 Nepenthes edwardsiana is closely related and sometimes confused with N. villosa and N. macrophylla. Nepenthes mira of Palawan also appears to be related. See the key to the N. villosa group under N. mira. Nepenthes edwardsiana is a climber and the pitchers are elongated, ventricose below, tubular above, whereas N. villosa is a prostrate scrambler with short urceolate pitchers. An important difference between N. edwardsiana and N. villosa is in the structure of the internal peristome. In N. edwardsiana the flattened peristome teeth bear a narrow-mouthed gland on the abaxial surface (i.e. away from the lid), and below each peristome tooth there is a distinct, elliptic pocket. In N. villosa the gland has a toothed opening, and the pockets are so deepened as to form a series of rectangular partitions between the front peristome, and a second series of irregular teeth. Clarke in Nepenthes of Borneo (1997: 79), points out further differences: N. edwardsiana has an acute leaf apex, inconspicuous indumentum and no inflorescence bracts, whilst N. villosa tends to have an emarginate leaf apex, densely villose indumentum and filiform inflorescence bracts.
2. The pitchers of N. edwardsiana are distinct from those of the very closely related N. macrophylla in being more papery, narrowly subcylindrical, at least 4 times as long as broad (vs. woody, broadly cylindrical, less than 3 times as long as broad), the lower 1/3-1/4 slightly swollen, the upper part narrower and cylindrical (vs. pitcher with a shallow central constriction), the peristome teeth are larger and sparser, and the leaf blade never exceeds 20 cm long (vs. frequently reaching 35 cm).