Nepenthes truncata

Nepenthes truncata, air pot

Nephenthes truncata is a Kannenpflanzenart from the family of pitcher plants plants ( Nepenthaceae ). It was described in 1911 by John Muirhead Macfarlane. The specific epithet comes from the Latin word truncata truncatus, meaning " mutilated ", which refers to the deeply cut leaves and unusually short tendrils.

Description

Vegetative characteristics

Nepenthes truncata is a subshrub, the lignified at the bottom of the age and growth reaches heights of up to 1 meter. Although he does not grow very fast, but takes more rapidly in extent and may even reach a considerable size at a young age.

Nepenthes truncata is one of the few Nepenthesarten, which can be seen only at the leaf shape, as the leaves are strikingly heart-shaped. In addition, leaf and vine are covered with a distinctive coat.

Nepenthes truncata forms as a young plant mainly soil pots (see picture), which are hairy velvety, have sweeping wing bars and have a very wide peristome. At the age appear primarily air cans that are more elegant and more amphorenförmig ( see cover photo ). The peristome is now rolled over backwards and the wing bars are much reduced form. The smooth layer of wax and small downwardly directed hair on the inner walls to function as a slide. The air cans can be more than 50 cm long and lined up with it under the biggest traps of the genus Nepenthes.

Flowers and seeds

Like all Nephentes species is Nepenthes truncata dioecious getrenntgeschlechtig ( dioecious ). She trains rispenförmige inflorescences up to 80 cm in length. The flowers may be rust-colored or greenish.

The seeds are transported by insects.

Occurrence and protection status

Nepenthes truncata is endemic in Mindanao in the Philippines, where it grows in open mountain slopes at altitudes 230-600 meters.

It is classified as " endangered " by the IUCN and is also in Appendix 2 of CITES.

Others

In September 2006, was discovered in an already half-digested mouse in the pot of Nepenthes truncata in the Botanical Garden of Lyon. Although the Fund in culture and far away from the natural site happened, he is notable as the first time photographs from catching a mammal could be made by a carnivore and this also the first evidence of a catch of a mammal by a Nepenthes truncata is. Previously there were only reports of such sightings at Nepenthes rajah. Other mice that the plant does not try to bite through, but drowning, were described in Germany in 2007 and 2008.