Vincent Bazile · CC BY-SA 3.0
About
A striking tropical pitcher plant, *Nepenthes hemsleyana*, is notable for its elongated form and unique mutualistic relationship with Hardwicke's woolly bats. The species' upper pitchers feature an expanded waxy zone and a specialized parabolic structure in the rear wall, which may aid in bat communication and roosting.
Field notes
Morphology
The species is very similar to *N. rafflesiana* but is elongated in all respects. Its upper leaves have proportionally longer laminae and proportionally shorter petioles. The tendrils are always round in cross section, and the upper pitchers retain a well developed waxy zone and may bear multicellular, filiform appendages on the upper surface of the lid. Leaf coloration can be dark green or reddish in closed forest.
Distribution & habitat
Endemic to Borneo, specifically known from Brunei (Belait and Tutong districts) and coastal regions of northern Sarawak (Baram River region and Bintulu Division), including around Miri and in Gunung Mulu National Park. It may also be found in the Kapuas region of West Kalimantan.
Ecology
The plant maintains a mutualistic relationship with Hardwicke's woolly bats, which roost in the upper pitchers. The bats provide additional nitrogen input through their feces, which is estimated to account for 33.8% of the plant's total foliar nitrogen. The pitchers are adapted for bat use, featuring an expanded waxy zone and a parabolic structure in the rear wall.
History & etymology
First collected in 1877 by Frederick William Burbidge. It was formally described by John Muirhead Macfarlane in his 1908 monograph, "Nepenthaceae," where he distinguished it by its leaf nerves, long tendril, slim pitchers, and heart-shaped lid. Later, B. H. Danser sunk it into synonymy with *N. rafflesiana*.
Habitat
- Altitude
- 0–200 m
- Altitude Class
- lowland
- Native To
- Brunei, Malaysia
- IUCN Status
- Conservation Dependent
Taxonomy
- Described
- 1908
- Authority
- Macfarl.
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Temperature
- Day 28–35°C / Night 20–28°C
- Humidity
- 75–95%
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