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New Nepenthes

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New

Nepenthes
Volume One
Published by

Redfern Natural History Productions


www.redfernnaturalhistory.com

New Nepenthes Volume One Never have so many new tropical pitcher plants (Nepenthes) been discovered as during the three years since the publication of the first complete monograph of the genus in 2009. Among them are eighteen new species, two revised species, one new variety, and two new but incompletely diagnosed taxa from across Borneo, Indochina, New Guinea, the Philippines and Sulawesi. The newly discovered plants include many of largest, most extraordinary and colourful carnivorous plants ever found. This work documents and depicts all of the new Nepenthes in spectacular detail, and in many cases for the very first time.
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New Nepenthes Volume One documents the following taxa, along with many other spectacular new pitcher plants....

Nepenthes appendiculata

Nepenthes ceciliae

Nepenthes epiphytica

Nepenthes hamiguitanensis

Nepenthes lamii

Nepenthes leonardoi

Nepenthes nigra

Nepenthes pulchra

Nepenthes thorelii

Redfern Natural History Productions


www.redfernnaturalhistory.com
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Nepenthes carpet phenomenon in the Cardamom Mountains


Jeremy Holden1* and Franois Sockhom Mey2
1) Fauna & Flora International Cambodia Programme, No. 32, Street 282, Bong Keng Kong, PO Box 1380, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 2) 3 rue Frdric Chopin 59320 Haubourdin, France. *Corresponding author. E-mail: jeremy_holden1@yahoo.co.uk

--------------------------Over the last hundred years, observations and collections have shown that, throughout southern Cambodia, open grassy areas, known as veal in the Khmer language, serve as suitable habitat for Nepenthes (Mey, 2010). These meadow-like habitats are commonly formed on shallow, white sandy soils over either sandstone or basaltic rock. A relatively impoverished floral composition is a characteristic of these veals, consisting mostly of grasses and low shrubs. The predominant plants are herbaceous species from the genera Xyris (Xyridaceae) and Melaleuca leucadendra L. (Myrtaceae) (Smach tracha or Smach chanlos in Khmer), a common group that can be found across a large altitudinal range, from sea level to over 1000 m as seen in the vicinity of the Popokvil Falls of Phnom Bokor at 1080 m. Melaleuca may be significantly stunted in the completely exposed veals, with trees not exceeding one metre in height. While veals are exposed to fires either natural or man-made on a regular basis, they can also be inundated during the course of the wet season. In addition to the predominant Xyris species, veals are host to other taxa such as the common Dapsilanthus disjunctus Mast. (Restionaceae), and plants belonging to the genera Ericaulon Lour. (Eriocaulaceae), Rhodamnia Jack (Myrtaceae), Rhodomyrtus (DC.) Rchb. (Myrtaceae) and Evodia Gaertn. (Lauraceae) (Lewitz & Rollet, 1973; Rollet, 1972). In March 2010, a small expedition from Fauna & Flora International visited some of the more remote mountainous areas in the south of the Phnom
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Figure 115 (above). An unusual sub- Figure 116 (above). The elongate globose lower pitcher found in two pitchers of the Cardamom Mountains veal isolated plants in nearby forest. Nepenthes.

Figure 117 (above). The pale colour of a newly opened pitcher produced by the Cardamom Mountains veal Nepenthes.

Figure 118 (above). A Cardamom Mountains veal Nepenthes upper pitcher, flushed an attractive shade of hot pink.
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Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary, part of the poorly surveyed Cardamom Mountains region of southwest Cambodia. The aim of the expedition was to survey for large mammals. The proposed survey area was a series of mountainous ridges and grassland plateaus extending from Phnom Samkos, Cambodias second highest mountain at 1717 m, to the final escarpment that overlooks Thailand to the southwest. The habitat in this region ranges from 8001500 m and is composed of tropical evergreen forest interspersed with open, grassy veals. Despite almost a decade of research carried out in the Greater Cardamoms, this area had never before been visited by researchers, and rarely, if ever, by local people. A legacy of two decades of fighting in the Cardamoms has left the region dotted with landmines, placed by Khmer Rouge soldiers, the government forces opposing them, and by the Vietnamese army. As a consequence, there is no clear idea where all the mines are placed and certain areas remain dangerous to visit (Brocheux & Hemery, 2004). Minefields in the forests surrounding Thma Da village make access into the proposed survey area difficult from the southern lowlands from where it might be more easily reached. The only remaining route is by passing over the Greater Cardamom Mountains, a much harder alternative, but one that is, at least, free from mines. The target area for the survey was a series of veals traversing west to east along the most southern escarpment. These veal areas were identified from maps and reached after five days on foot, following a direct compass bearing across the mountains. Previous interviews with villagers had suggested that Nepenthes did not occur on these high veals. However, extensive populations of Nepenthes kampotiana Lecomte are known to grow in veals in Koh Kong province between 100600 m, sometimes along the road; while Nepenthes mirabilis (Lour.) Druce occurs in the marshlands around Veal Veng (550 m) in OSom to the east (pers observ.). Local people knew about Nepenthes populations in OSom, but claimed that they did not occur at higher elevations. It was therefore a surprise to emerge from the dense montane scrub forest on one peak to discover a veal covered in Nepenthes plants that formed vast, contiguous carpets. Without permits to do so, no voucher specimens of this taxon were collected. It seemed clear, however, that
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Figure 119 (facing page). An isolated Cardamom Mountains veal Nepenthes growing beneath a pine tree in an open area.

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given the overall similarity of these plants to other Indochinese species, they fit into what is referred to as the N. thorelii aggregate (Mey et al., 2010). Even so, the specific identity of these plants remains uncertain in the absence of further investigation. This plant was first introduced as an unidentified Nepenthes taxon from Cambodia in a recent publication (McPherson, 2009). A few hundred metres from the large colonies, two different, isolated plants were observed; these developed reddish sub-globose pitchers (Figure 115) and were both found in the dense montane forest surrounding the veal. Key features of this taxon show that it is very closely related to the other pyrophytic Nepenthes; the leaf base is sub-petiolate, clasping the stem and decurrent; the lower pitchers are often red, ovate at the base and cylindrical above, while the upper pitchers are pale yellow, sometimes suffused with red, narrowly cylindrical and slightly swollen in the lower third, to narrowly infundibular (Figures 116, 117, 118 and 119); there is no appendage underneath the lid; the inflorescence is racemose with flowers borne solitarily on pedicels that may develop a basal bract.These features match the superficial morphology of several of the N. thorelii aggregate taxa, in particular N. smilesii Hemsl., with which it follows both morphological and ecological similarities. Nepenthes smilesii is the most widespread species of the aggregate and has been observed at similar elevations on Mount Lang Bian, near Dalat, Vietnam, on Mount St (Phu St) in southern Laos, and on Mount Kradung (Phu Kradung) in Thailand (observations from collections deposited in Paris MNHN herbarium (P)). However, the leaves of this Cardamom taxon, which are lanceolate, seem to be shorter than those of N. smilesii or indeed of any of the other species in the N. thorelii aggregate. This feature might be due to the high light levels that these plants must experience, growing in an elevated and completely open habitat. Another species known from the Cardamom Mountains, Nepenthes holdenii Mey, cannot be confused with this unidentified taxon because of their different morphology and ecology: N. holdenii develops a different inflorescence structure as well as different upper pitchers, and is found in the transitional zone (600 800 m) between lowland evergreen forest and low montane evergreen forest on steep ridges in bright to fully sun-exposed areas, often in association with Pinus species.

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This taxon appears to favour open grassland and was not seen on the low bushes on the veals or the surrounding trees, in contrast with N. kampotiana populations occurring in the neighbouring lowlands. A few hundred metres from the large colonies, two different, isolated plants were recorded: these developed reddish sub-globose pitchers and were both found in the dense montane forest surrounding the veal, growing as slender vines. The vines were gracile, with extremely long tendrils compared to any of the other known Indochinese taxon. It is likely that these two plants were ecotypes: N. bokorensis Mey, a Cambodian endemic, has also recently been found growing in such conditions and develops similarly long tendrils in Mount Bokors montane forest (Mey & Robinson, pers. observ., 2011). The most unusual and striking feature of this population was the extensive carpets formed by the plants (Figures 120 and 121). Although clearly not a closely related species, these carpets are reminiscent of the dense populations of Nepenthes madagascariensis Poir. (Figure 122) seen in the lowlands of Madagascar. It is as yet unknown why this Cardamom taxon develops such extensive carpets (Figures 123 and 124). The remote position of these veals puts them far from human habitation, and perhaps because of this they experience fewer fires than similar habitats in closer proximity to villages. Although there was some evidence that pigs were rooting up the Nepenthes tubers, there was no sign of larger ungulates such as gaur (Bos frontalis) visiting these veals. It was also clear from the number of large orchids growing in the vicinity that plant collectors had not visited the area. In the absence of potential disruptions, such as regular fires, trampling from large mammals that could possibly damage the pitchers, and collection by humans, these plants have possibly been given the chance to grow unimpeded over the years to form these unusually large carpets. Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank Cambodias Ministry of Environment for permission to visit the Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary and other areas under their jurisdiction, and Fauna & Flora International and the Royal University of Phnom Penh for supporting the expedition. We are thoroughly grateful to Dr Neil Furey and to Ith Saveng, who acted as an exemplary counterpart, translator and map-reader, and to pitcher plants enthusiast, Jacques Besnard, for his beautiful habitat photograph of Nepenthes madagascariensis.

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Figure 120 (facing page). The proximity of the underlying rock stratum is largely responsible for the open aspect of these veals.

Figure 121 (above). The pale upper pitchers of the Cardamom Mountains veal Nepenthes contrast strongly with the darker surrounding vegetation.

Figure 122 (above). The growth habit of the Cardamom Mountains veal Nepenthes is reminiscent of Nepenthes madagascariensis, a distantly related taxon. Figures 123 (pages 158 and 159) 124 (pages 160 and 161). The Cardamom 157 Mountains veal Nepenthes in situ, forming massed carpets of pitchers across the ground.

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