Nepenthes
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: Borneo present (Sabah present), western slopes of Mt Kinabalu present
Borneo: Sabah (western slopes of Mt Kinabalu).
Taxonomy
Although long recognised as a hybrid, it has only recently been confirmed that this taxon comprises two large, self-sustaining and apparently true-breeding populations of several hundred individuals (A. Phillipps, pers. comm.). In contrast are the cases of Nepenthes x hookeriana and Nepenthes x trichocarpa, which although recorded from many sites where the parental species occur together, are found as isolated individuals and not as self-sustaining populations. In further support of species status for Nepentheseeekinabaluensis, report that the pollen of the much rarer hybrid between N. burbidgeae and N. rajah produces largely sterile pollen whereas that of Nepenthes x kinabaluensis is almost 100% fertile and that plants of N. rajah are not to be found nearby. However, as there is no character that distinguishes this plant from its parents, we follow in maintaining this taxon as a hybrid, rather than a species as advocated by .