Attenboroughii at English Wikipedia · CC BY 3.0
About
*Nepenthes gantungensis* is a striking, upright, climbing or scrambling pitcher plant endemic to the high peaks of Palawan, notable for its combination of narrow, acute-tipped leaves and a pronounced peristome on its pitchers. It is a species that forms compact, frequently-flowering rosettes in its natural habitat.
Field notes
Morphology
The plant is an upright, climbing or scrambling species with stems reaching up to 4 m. Leaves are petiolate to subpetiolate, coriaceous, and narrowly oblong, measuring 20–40 cm long by 6–12 cm wide. Lower pitchers are wholly ovate to urceolate, up to 20 cm high by 7 cm wide, featuring a conspicuous neck and a peristome that is cylindrical to slightly flattened and up to 2 cm wide, bearing ribs and teeth. The operculum is elliptic (up to 6 cm by 4.5 cm) and has a spur near its base. Upper pitchers are variably funnel-shaped, reaching up to 25 cm in height by 7 cm in width, with wings often reduced to a pair of ribs. The species produces large racemose inflorescences, with male spikes reaching 60 cm and female spikes reaching 50 cm.
Distribution & habitat
Endemic to the upper slopes of Mount Gantung in Brooke's Point municipality on the Philippine island of Palawan, with an altitudinal range of 1,600–1,784 m above sea level.
History & etymology
Discovered in early 2010 by Jehson Cervancia, Mark Jaunzems, Ch'ien Lee, and Stewart McPherson. The specific epithet gantungensis refers to Mount Gantung, the only locality from which it is known. It was formally described in July 2010.
Conservation
The natural habitat is largely untouched, though the area is near a radio repeater tower and a small building. While not formally assessed by the IUCN, the describing authors suggested it should be considered Critically Endangered due to its localized distribution and small population size.
Habitat
- Altitude
- 1,600–1,784 m
- Altitude Class
- highland
- Native To
- Palawan
- IUCN Status
- Vulnerable
Taxonomy
- Described
- 2010
- Authority
- S.McPherson, Cervancia, Chi.C.Lee, Jaunzems, Mey & A.S.Rob.
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- intermediate
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