Nepenthes attenboroughii

Nepenthes attenboroughii

Nepenthes attenboroughii is a species of the genus of pitcher plants ( Nepenthes ). This carnivorous plant is endemic to Mount Victoria on the Philippine island of Palawan.

History

The specific epithet honors attenboroughii the naturalist David Attenborough. The type specimen of Nepenthes attenboroughii was collected on the summit at an altitude of 1650 meters of Mount Victoria (9 ° 22 ' N / 118 ° 18' E ), a mountain on the Philippine island of Palawan.

Nepenthes attenboroughii was discovered by Alastair S. Robinson, R. Stewart McPherson and Volker B. Heinrich in June 2007 during a two month research expedition to the cataloging of various Nepenthes species on Palawan. The expedition was launched after missionaries reported in 2000 a huge Nepenthes species. The first description of Nepenthes attenboroughii took place in February 2009 by Alastair S. Robinson, AS Fleischmann, Stewart R. McPherson, Volker B. Heinrich, EP Gironella and CQ Peña A spectacular new species of Nepenthes L. ( Nepenthaceae ) pitcher plant from central Palawan, Philippines. , in Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, Volume 159, pp. 195-202 2.

Description

Nepenthes attenboroughii grows as a shrub. The stem reaches a height of up to 1.5 meters and a diameter of up to 3.5 inches. The leathery leaves have an oblong to elliptical leaf blade.

Nepenthes attenboroughii produced some of the greatest pitchers in their genus, sometimes larger than the rajah of Nepenthes. The size and volume after it thus represents a record. The largest known pitcher of Nepenthes attenboroughii had more than 1.5 liters. Nepenthes attenboroughii is thus able to catch small mammals up to the size of about rats. The lower pitchers are brittle and bell-shaped and up to 30 cm high and 16 cm wide. The diameter is 30 to 40 cm and the wall thickness of 4-9 mm. The upper pitchers are similar to the lower pitchers, but usually smaller, up to 25 cm high and 12 cm wide.