Nepenthes gracillima
Content
Description
Terrestrial climber 1-5 m tall.
Leaves thinly coriaceous, sessile, those of climbing stems lanceolate to oblanceolate, 5-10(-16) by 1-1.5 (-2) cm, apex acute, base cuneate, amplexicaul, clasping the stem for 1/2 its circumference, slightly auriculate, not decurrent;
Fruit valves c. 18 by 3 mm.
Seed fusiform, 9-10 mm long, central body smooth.
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia present), Banjaran Timur present, G. Tahan present, G. Tapis present
Peninsular Malaysia: the eastern mountain ranges, Banjaran Timur; G. Tahan and G. Tapis
Notes
4. Ridley described N. gracillima from Mt Tahan collections in 1908 (see reference above). At the same time he identified other specimens collected on the same expedition as N. bongso Korth. In 1924 () he corrected this identification, and described the latter specimens as a new species: N. alba. He also (l.c. 1924) described N. ramispina from Mt Semangka in the Genting Highlands. Danser in reduced all these names to N. gracillima, but we have reinstated N. ramispina (). Danser’s illustration (in ) is of N. ramispina.
2. There has been confusion about the Nepenthes of upland Peninsular Malaysia: N. gracillima, N. macfarlanei, N. ramispina, and N. sanguinea. Danser in reduced N. ramispina to a synonym of N. gracillima. He regarded the delimitation of the remaining species as confused by hybrids. Amongst herbarium specimens, hybrids seem to be common, but this may be an artifact of collector selection of unusually large or different individuals. The ecology of the species is distinct (Kiew l.c. 1990). Nepenthes gracillima and N. ramispina are no doubt a closely related pair, but a distinct morphological disjunction correlates with the western and eastern mountain ranges of Peninsular Malaysia. Whilst we acknowledge that hybrids are to be found, nonetheless it is possible to key the majority of highland Peninsular Malaysia specimens as follows:
3. Danser misidentified a specimen of N. gracillima (Ridley 16097) as belonging to N. alata (see there) (Kiew l.c. 1990).
1 Nepenthes gracillima can be distinguished from the closely related N. ramispina by its smaller size. The pitcher is not as attenuated, the spur is usually simple, the lid glands are larger, fewer and more uniform in size, and the whole plant is somewhat glabrescent. The coloration of the upper pitchers of N. gracillima is particularly striking: they are green in their lower part, becoming pale yellow to ivory-white in their upper parts, with rose coloured markings throughout. Kiew discussed the species on G. Tahan in some detail in .
Citation
Macfarl. 1908 – In: Engl., Pflanzenr. 4. p 38
Ridl. 1914 – In: J. As. Soc. Beng. p 282
Shivas 1984: Pitcher Plants of Peninsula Malaysia & Singapore. p 31
Kiew 1990 – In: J. Wildlife and National Parks. p 36
Jebb & Cheek 1997 – In: Blumea. p 43
Danser 1928 – In: Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg. p 296
Macfarl. 1914 – In: J. As. Soc. Beng. p 282