Nepenthes insignis
Content
Description
Epiphytic shrub or climber c. 80 cm tall.
Leaves thinly coriaceous, sessile, those of climbing stems linear-lanceolate to slightly spathulate, 20-35 by 4-6 cm, apex acute, base attenuate, decurrent into 2 wings descending 1/3-2/3 the length of the internode.
Fruit and seed unknown.
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: New Guinea present (Irian Jaya present), Biak Island present
New Guinea: Irian Jaya, including Biak Island.
Notes
1 The winged leaf base, decurrent down the stem, the broad peristome with toothed inner margin, and 2-flowered partial peduncles separate N. insignis from all others species in New Guinea. Nepenthes insignis belongs with a grouping characterised by their often epiphytic nature, sessile leaves, angular stems, often large pitchers with a broad, only slightly rounded peristome which often lacks a revolute outer margin, and a lid in which the glands are absent from the midline and often transversely elliptic. This group was named the Insignes by and includes N. burkei, N. merrilliana N. northiana, N. sibuyanensis, N. ventricosa, and possibly N. bellii.
2. Nepenthes insignis was only known from four collections with scanty field notes gathered many decades ago until its recent rediscovery (Rischer l.c. 1995), from which the colour and habitat notes above are derived.