Nepenthes kampalili, Lagunday & V. B. Amoroso, 2024

Lagunday, Noel E., Yorong, Aimanuelzon P. & Amoroso, Victor B., 2024, Nepenthes kampalili (Nepenthaceae), a new species of pitcher plant from the eastern mindanao biodiversity corridor, Philippines, Phytotaxa 644 (2), pp. 163-170 : 164-167

Nepenthes kampalili sp. nov. Lagunday & V.B. Amoroso

Type: — PHILIPPINES. Mindanao: Davao de Oro, Maragusan Municipality, Mount Kampalili karst limestone bonsai forest, 06 August 2021, Lagunday s.n. (holotype PNH!, isotype CMUH!) .

Diagnosis ( Table 1 ): — Nepenthes kampalili differs from N. peltata (2008: 12) in having apically attached tendril to leaf (vs. peltate tendril-leaf attachment), densely pubescent ground pitchers (vs. glabrous), densely pubescent lid dorsal surface (vs. glabrous), and occasionally has 2 pitcher spur arising from the midsection of the peristome neck posterior (vs. 1 unbranched pitcher spur).

Description ( Fig. 1 ): —Terrestrial shrub-climber up to 1 m tall, climbing stems pubescent, terete up to 1.5–2.0 cm internodes, 0.7–1.0 cm in diameter; internodes of rosette stems ca. 9 mm; leaves of male plants ca. 8.5–9.6 × 2.6–3.7 cm, 2 parallel veins on each side run parallel with the midrib positioned halfway out of the lamina, petioles up to ca. 1.0– 2.5 cm long, winged up to ca. 5 mm on each side, abaxial surface, leaf margins, and tendrils subtending pitchers; stem and petioles variably suffused with bright red; stem, petioles, and leaf abaxial covered with brownish indumenta up to ca. 1 mm long. Male individuals have leaves up to 10.5 cm long, 3.2–3.5 cm wide; petioles 3 cm long, winged up to 5 mm on each side attached to terete stems with internodes up to 1.5 cm; tendrils uncoiled up to 18 cm long and 2–5 mm in diameter. Leaves of climbing stem up to 13 cm long and 3.7 cm wide, petioles up to 3 cm long, winged up to 4 mm on each side. Ground pitchers variable ovate to urceolate, thickly covered with brownish indumenta, exterior olive green to suffused red, ca. 6.5–29.0 × 3.5–3.7 cm, subtended by uncoiled yellow-green to suffused red tendrils, ca. 11–21 cm long × ca. 2–3 mm in diameter; wings run down the pitcher anterior up to half, ca. 4 mm wide and fringed up to 3 mm long with short indumenta, ca. 0.1 mm, fringe spaced up to 1 mm; peristome ovate tapering posteriorly forming a neck, suffused red, ridge spaced ca. 1 mm; teeth distinct ca. 1 mm, triangular base tapering to tip appearing like scalpel blade; peristome neck forms a distinct neck with teeth oriented ca. 25° antero-posteriorly; pitcher lid 2.6–4.0 × 2.6–4.5 cm, dorsal surface yellow-green suffused with pinkish red covered with brownish-black indumenta ca. 1 mm; ventral surface yellow-green suffused with pinkish red towards the margins; lid spur short ca. 4 mm long, occasionally 2 arising from the posterior peristome neck midsection; central basal lid appendage reduced to ridge. Aerial pitchers were not observed in the type locality. Male inflorescence 2-flowered from rachis base to midsection becoming 1-flowered pedicels to tip sits on ca. 7.5 cm rachis; scape up to ca. 18–31 cm long, ca. 5 mm base diameter, up to ca. 3 mm rachis base diameter; rachis base may have bracts up to ca. 1 cm long, 4 mm wide with a 5 mm long tendril attached in the bract apex; entire inflorescence covered with short brown indumenta; partial peduncles short ca. 3 mm long; pedicels subtending the florets ca. 3 mm long; tepals, ovate, 5 × 2 mm; anther tubes ca. 3–7 mm; 1-flowered pedicels up to ca. 1 cm long × 1 mm, tepals ca. 4 × 3 mm; florets generally ca. 1.0 × 0.8 mm. Female Inflorescence 1-flowered sits on a 6.5 cm long rachis, scape up to ca. 30 cm, up to ca. 4 mm in the base and 3 mm near the rachis, yellow-green variably suffused with red, covered by short brownish indumenta; pedicels subtending the fruits ca. 1.2 × 0.2 cm in diameter; fruits up to 2.9 cm long × 5 mm, yellow-green, covered with short brownish hairs; tepals ovate, ca. 5.0 × 3.5 mm; upper surface concave, suffused with black; seeds filiform, 7.0 × 0.1 mm.

Morphological description of Nepenthes candalaga lower pitchers and male inflorescence:—Leaves of rosette stems up to ca. 4.5 × 1.7 cm, petioles up to 2 cm long; tendrils bearing pitchers uncoiled, pubescent, up to 6 cm long and up to ca. 2 mm in diameter, base obtuse, apex acute. Ground pitchers suffused with dark red in the exteriors, interiors creamy white blotched with magenta red, up to ca. 9 cm long, 3 cm at the widest region; wings run down the entire pitcher anterior up to ca. 4 mm wide with fringe filaments up to ca. 5 mm long and ca. 0.4 mm in diameter; peristome recurved towards the pitcher exterior appearing cylindrical, tapers posteriorly forming a neck ca. 1 cm slightly anteriorly inclined; pitcher lid orbicular to ovate, 3 x 3.1 cm, central basal appendage absent, lid spur unbranched up to ca. 2 cm long and 1 mm in diameter. Male inflorescence 2-flowered partial peduncles sitting on a 20 cm rachis ca. 7 mm in diameter tapering to tip; scape 7 cm ca. 7 mm in diameter; partial peduncles ca. 1.9 cm long, 1 mm in diameter, yellow-green to brownish, covered with short whitish indumenta; pedicels bearing the florets up to ca. 1 cm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter, reddish covered with whitish short indumenta; anther tubes ca. 2 mm, suffused with red coloration; anther head up to ca. 1.6 × 1.6 mm, ca. 14 theca with the line of dehiscence located dorsally ( Fig. 2 ).

Etymology: —The specific epithet refers to locus classicus, i.e. Mt. Kampalili.

Conservation status: —The species described herein is assessed as Critically Endangered [CR B1ab (i)], extent of occurrence estimated to be less than 10 km 2. Occurring at high elevations with estimated number of 200 mature individuals. Known only from the type locality and probably site endemic to Mt. Kampalili, Maragusan, Davao de Oro.

Taxonomic and ecological notes: —The species described in this work belongs to Nepenthes sect. Villosa (1851: 888) as characterized by petiolate leaves, well-developed lid, peristomes with blade-like teeth, lids that lack central basal appendages and are restricted to higher altitude ultramafic habitat ( Figure 1 ). This discovery increases the Mindanao Nepenthes to 35 excluding N. alata Blanco (1837: 805) and N. robcantleyii (2012: 677) the latter considered as a natural hybrid ( Mansell & Suarez, 2017) and the aforementioned was erroneously reported in Mindanao. It thrives and is restricted on the limestone karst bonsai forest at 2200–2320 m a.s.l. (summit) of Mt. Kampalili, Maragusan, Davao de Oro growing on limestone rock formations ( Figs. 3 and 4 ). The species was observed in the site to thrive in limestone crevices and mossy surfaces sometimes bearing pitchers that are buried in thick moss. Other noteworthy species thriving with N. kampalili includes N. candalaga , Gaultheria sp. , Myrsine sp. , Podocarpus sp. , and Hypericum perryongii Galindon (2021: 62) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Nepenthes kampalili. A) Plant habit; B&E) ground pitchers with slightly varying architecture; C) ground pitcher partly buried in moss; D) unopened juvenile pitchers; F) pubescent ground pitcher (lateral view); G) ground pitcher long-section, digestive zone indicated by dark coloration (arrow);H) infructescence; I) 1-flowered inflorescence; J) 2-flowered male inflorescence; K) 2-flowered male inflorescence, L) 1-flowered female inflorescence; M) ovary long-section, showing placentation; N) seed; O&P) lid upper surface; Q) lid lower surface; R) leaf adaxial; S) peristome neck; T) ground pitcher wings; U) peristome teeth; V) pubescent abaxial leaf; W) pubescent leaf bud. Scale bar = 1 cm (photograph by N. E. Lagunday).

FIGURE 2. Nepenthes candalaga. A) Plant habit (male); B-D) aerial pitchers with varying coloration; E) ground pitcher; F) aerial pitcher wing below the peristome constricted region (yellow arrow); G) unbranched lid spur; H) hook-shaped lid appendage; I) peristome teeth (arrows); J,L) lid dorsal surface with varying coloration; K,M) lid ventral surface with varying coloration; N) leaf adaxial; O) male inflorescence with bract in the rachis base (arrow); P) female inflorescence; Q) 2-flowered male inflorescence; R) anther head; S) opening tepals partially showing the anther head; T) 2-flowered female inflorescence. Scale bar = 1 cm (photographs by N. E. Lagunday).

FIGURE 3. Nepenthes distribution along vegetation type and elevation gradient in Mt. Kampalili, Davao de Oro.

FIGURE 4. Map showing the species distribution in Mindanao.