Nepenthes macrophylla

Nepenthes macrophylla /nɪˈpɛnθiːz ˌmækroʊˈfɪlə/, the large-leaved pitcher-plant, is a tropical pitcher plant known only from a very restrictive elevation on Mount Trusmadi in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Nepenthes macrophylla was once thought to be a subspecies of N. edwardsiana, but differs from that species in several aspects of pitcher and leaf morphology. Nepenthes macrophylla was known to grow on Mount Trusmadi for a long time prior to its description, although it was not initially considered a distinct species. Shortly after its discovery, it was lumped with N. villosa, a similar species from Kinabalu National Park. In his 1976 guide, Nepenthes of Mount Kinabalu, botanist Shigeo Kurata wrote: Later, N. macrophylla was treated as a form of N. edwardsiana, another closely related species. An early collection of N. macrophylla was made by Johannes Marabini in March 1983 and the herbarium material, designated as Marabini 2167, deposited at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany. Four years later, Marabini formally described the taxon as a subspecies of N. edwardsiana. In their 1996 monograph, Pitcher-Plants of Borneo, Anthea Phillipps and Anthony Lamb treated N. macrophylla as a species in the process of being described, referring to it as 'Nepenthes macrophylla (Marabini) Jebb & Cheek ined.'. Botanists Matthew Jebb and Martin Cheek had intended to elevate N. macrophylla to species status since at least 1994 and did so upon the publication of their 1997 monograph 'A skeletal revision of Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae)' in the botanical journal Blumea. This interpretation was supported by Charles Clarke, who noted that N. edwardsiana and N. villosa 'have more in common with each other than do N. edwardsiana and N. macrophylla'. Nepenthes macrophylla is a climbing plant. The stem reaches a length of more than 10 m and is up to 10 mm in diameter. Internodes are up to 35 cm long and circular in cross section. Leaves are coriaceous and petiolate. The lamina or leaf blade is oblong in shape and reaches exceptionally large dimensions of up to 60 cm by 20 cm. The apex of the lamina is acuminate-obtuse, while the base is abruptly contracted where the petiole begins. The petiole itself is up to 15 cm long. It is canaliculate (grooved lengthwise) and typically bears wings that form a partially amplexicaul sheath around the stem. One to three longitudinal veins are present on either side of the midrib, but pinnate veins are indistinct. Tendrils measure up to 35 cm in length. The pitchers of N. macrophylla are robust and almost woody in texture. Rosette and lower pitchers are shortly cylindrical in shape, becoming narrower around the midpoint. They can be very large: up to 35 cm high by 15 cm wide. A pair of fringed wings (≤10 mm wide) runs down the ventral surface of the pitcher. Terrestrial pitchers usually have a hip in their lower half. The pitcher mouth is ovate and has an oblique insertion. The peristome is cylindrical and expanded, measuring up to 15 mm wide. It bears a series of highly developed ribs, which terminate in prominent downward-pointing teeth. The pitcher lid or operculum is ovate, very broad, and has a cordate base. An unbranched spur (≤9 mm long) is inserted near the base of the lid. Upper pitchers are similar to their lower counterparts in most respects. They differ in having a more cylindrical shape, reduced wings, and the hip always being located in the upper half. Traps may have a range of colours, although the yellow-pitchered form is more common than the red-pitchered form.