Nepenthes lowii
Nepenthes lowii
Nepenthes lowii is a carnivorous plant in the genus pitcher plants ( Nepenthes ). It was first described in 1859 by botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker from. The species name honors the botanist lowii Hugh Low, Jr. (1824-1905), who brought about 1854 by an Asian expedition.
- 5.1 history
- 5.2 systematics
- 5.3 hybrids
Occurrence
Nepenthes lowii is native to Borneo in the states of Sabah and Sarawak. She lives in moss forests of the mountain ranges of Mount Kinabalu, Mount Trus Madi, Mount Murud and Mount Mulu at altitudes from 1600 to 2600 meters.
Description
Nepenthes lowii is an evergreen shrub that lives either terrestrial, epiphytic or lithophytic and is characterized by creeping or climbing habit. The shoots can thereby be up to six meters long and 7 - reach 10 mm thickness. At the age lignified plant and the driving out of wood often young shoots from. The alternate arranged leaves of Nepenthes lowii are wrong - heart-shaped when young, later more broadly elliptical. They have a leathery, slightly hairy surface and are 15-30 cm long and 6-9 cm wide.
The ground pitchers of Nepenthes lowii are in the lower part ovate, upwards rather tubular and slightly constricted in the middle. From the peristome down, the soil cans on ciliated wings that extend up to 2/ 3 to 3/ 4 of the can height. The peristome is serrated and rounded on the inside. The lid of the cans is up to 6 mm long villi studded, between which a characteristic whitish substance is excreted.
The air cans of Nepenthes lowii, however, are spherical with a narrowed neck strong, which is heavily tilted upward and has a disproportionately large, teardrop-shaped opening. The peristome is strikingly much reduced form. The lid is oval, clearly shell-like bulges and studded with villi. He is usually strictly upright and at right angles to the opening. The coloring of the cans is mainly a light olive green, with the inside of the opening is usually colored fleischrot. In general, the cans 15 - 25 cm long.
Inflorescence and flower
Like most of her relatives also forms Nepenthes lowii Rispige inflorescences ( inflorescences ) from. Nepenthes lowii is dioecious getrenntgeschlechtig ( dioecious ), the female and male flowers are therefore located on different plants. The flowers have five bloom, its diameter is about 8 mm. The seed capsules are tönnchenförmig and 2.2 cm long.
Ecology
Nepenthes lowii adjacent its insect trapping a special feature regarding their food procurement: a whitish gelatinous substance between the villi on the inside of the lid sometimes formed, which targeted small shrews of the species Tupaja montana are attracted. Their droppings fall into the cans, which Nepenthes lowii brings additional nutrients. The naturalist and botanist J. Harrison reported already in 1960 by the phenomenon, he held the whitish exudates, however, for worm eggs.
Breeders and collectors as Ed de Vogel report that falling leaves will be collected by the sweeping opening of the air cans, which the plant has been nicknamed " vegetarian pitcher plant " introduced. The foliage is also used for dietary supplements.
Threat status
Because of their complex care and their rarity Nepenthes lowii is a coveted collector's item. Along with the progressive destruction of their habitats, for agricultural purposes, this has meant that Nepenthes lowii by the Washington Convention ( CITES) Appendix I to the list of " endangered species " must be protected.
Botanical research
History
Nepenthes lowii was identified in 1965 in publications of the UNESCO Humid Tropic symposium by Bertram Evelyn Smythies botanist accidentally as subspecies of Nepenthes macfarlanei. The lower pitchers of Nepenthes lowii are those of N. macfarlanei very similar ( also N. macfarlanei forms villi at the bottom of the pot lid ).
System
Nepenthes lowii is closely related to Nepenthes ephippiata whose pitchers of N. lowii pitchers the air are very similar throughout. Already Benedictus Hubertus Danser made the botanist 1928 on the similarities of the two types of attention. The pitchers of Nepenthes ephippiata differ from Nepenthes lowii has a clearly larger cover with longer and finer villi on the inside, also the peristome in N. ephippiata is much more pronounced and the constriction of the can neck rather weak.
Hybrids
From Nepenthes lowii two natural hybrids are known, Nepenthes x trusmadiensis ( Nepenthes lowii x Nepenthes macrophylla) and Nepenthes x bruneiensis ( Nepenthes lowii Nepenthes x stenophylla ).