Nepenthes ampullaria
Description
Terrestrial climber to 15 m tall, with many terrestrial and some aerial rosettes.
Leaves sessile or with a short, poorly defined petiole, blade thickly chartaceous, lanceolate to spathulate;
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: Borneo present; Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia present); New Guinea present; Sumatera (Sumatera present); Thailand (Thailand present)
Thailand, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, New Guinea.
Taxonomy
3. Hybrids between this species and N. gracilis (N.trichocarpa) and N. rafflesiana (N.hookeriana) are widespread though scarce, and are treated in this account.
2. The species is apparently absent from the Moluccas and Sulawesi, but the eastern (New Guinea) and western (Thailand to Borneo) populations are morphologically indistinguishable.
1 The globular pitchers of N. ampullaria with their reflexed linear-oblong lids are not easily confused with any other species. The habit of this species is characteristic, with numerous rosettes sunken in the leaf litter or moss of the forest floor, and tall climbing stems which lack upper pitchers, though pitchers may be borne in rosettes arising from stems up to 2 m from the ground. Recently a few isolated cases of plants bearing upper pitchers have been reported in Brunei and Peninsular Malaysia. These are small, infundibuliform pitchers no more than 2 cm high, but extremely uncommon.
Citation
Phillipps & A.L. Lamb 1996: Pitcher Plants of Borneo: 67: f. 40
Danser 1928 – In: Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg: 265
Sh. Kurata 1973 – In: Gard. Bull. Sing.: 227
André 1877 – In: Ill. Hort.: 45
Shivas 1984: Pitcher Plants of Peninsula Malaysia & Singapore: 27
Tamin & M. Hotta 1986 – In: M. Hotta, Diversity and Dynamics of Plant Life in Sumatra: 81
Jack 1976: Sabah: 34
Jebb & Cheek 1997 – In: Blumea: 18
Beck 1895 – In: Wiener Ill. Gart.-Zeitung: 150
Clarke 1997: Nepenthes of Borneo: 65: f. 40-43
Jebb 1991: p. 21. – In: Science in New Guinea: f. 4 & 8