Dr. Alastair Robinson · CC BY 3.0
About
Nepenthes attenboroughii, or Attenborough's pitcher plant, is a montane carnivorous species of the genus *Nepenthes*. It is named in honor of the naturalist Sir David Attenborough, who is a keen enthusiast of the genus.
Field notes
Morphology
This terrestrial shrub can reach a height of up to 1.5 m, with stems that are circular and may be up to 3.5 cm thick. The leaves are oblong to elliptic, up to 40 cm long and 15 cm wide, and clasp the stem by about two-thirds of its circumference. The plant produces large pitchers, with lower pitchers being brittle, bell-shaped (campanulate), up to 30 cm tall and 16 cm wide. Upper pitchers are generally infundibular, reaching up to 25 cm tall and 12 cm wide, and vary in color from green or yellow to dark purple.
Distribution & habitat
The species is endemic to the Victoria Massif in Palawan, Philippines. It grows at high altitudes, ranging from 1450 m to the summit of Mount Victoria at 1726 m. It is found in scattered populations on rocky, ultramafic soil among other high-altitude shrubs.
Ecology
The pitchers are filled with a viscous lower fluid and a watery upper fraction, which supports populations of pitcher infauna, such as mosquito larvae. While large enough to trap rodents, the usual prey are large bugs and flying insects. The plant demonstrates a digestive process, as evidenced by the skeletal remains of a shrew found within the pitchers.
History & etymology
The species was discovered in June 2007 by Alastair Robinson, Stewart R. McPherson, and Volker B. Heinrich during an expedition to the Philippine Archipelago. Its formal description was published in February 2009, and the designated holotype specimen is held at the herbarium of Palawan State University.
Conservation
Nepenthes attenboroughii is assessed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN due to its highly restricted distribution and the threat posed by plant poachers.
Habitat
- Altitude
- 1,450–1,726 m
- Altitude Class
- highland
- Native To
- Philippines
- IUCN Status
- Critically Endangered
Taxonomy
- Described
- 2009
- Authority
- A.S.Rob., S.McPherson & V.B.Heinrich
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Temperature
- Day 18–25°C / Night 10–18°C
- Humidity
- 70–95%
In My Collection 1 plant
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