Nepenthes barcelonae Tandang & Cheek, 2015

Cheek, Martin, Tandang, Danilo N. & Pelser, Pieter B., 2015, Nepenthes barcelonae (Nepenthaceae), a new species from Luzon, Philippines, Phytotaxa 222 (2), pp. 145-150 : 146-149

Nepenthes barcelonae Tandang & Cheek , sp. nov.

Type: — PHILIPPINES: Luzon, Sierra Madre Mountain range, Aurora Province, fr. 22 Feb. 2014, Tandang 1727 with Pelser & Barcelona (holotype PNH!, isotype K!) ( Figs. 1 − 2 ).

Diagnosis: — Nepenthes barcelonae a ceteris speciebus Nepenthium in sect. Insignes Danser ponendis ascidiis superioribus ore diametro minore ascidio ipso, ascidiis dimorphis eis terra proximis robustis rubrisque, eis apice caulium proximis gracilibus viridibusque distincta.

Description: — Terrestrial climber to 2 or 3 m tall, glabrous apart from the pitcher and inflorescence. Rosette and short stems unknown. Climbing stems terete, 4.5–7.0 mm, mainly 2-winged, internodes 1.5–3.0(–4.5) cm long, winged for 0.5–2.5 cm of their length, wings decurrent from leaf, 0.6–0.7 cm wide at midlength, leaf-base clasping stem for half its circumference. Leaves sessile, ligulate-oblong, (13.2–)19.5–23.0(–24.5) × (1.9–)2.5–4.0(–4.5) cm, apex obtuseacute, tendril not arising peltately, leaf base not tapering towards the stem. Upper pitchers (mouth facing away from tendril, fringed wings absent) dimorphic and dichromic, slightly curved, cylindrical or slightly laterally compressed, constriction slight, gradual, inconspicuous, 0–1/4 the diameter, about two-thirds the length from the base, or constriction absent; apex of pitcher tube abruptly constricted, so that the mouth is inset, and only the tips of the lobes of the broad peristome extend beyond the circumference of the top of the pitcher tube; fringed wings reduced to inconspicuous ridges 1.10–1.25 cm apart, or absent; indumentum of expanding, immature pitchers dense, 100% cover, hairs matt, medium brown, appressed, simple hairs 0.4–0.6(–0.9) mm long; indumentum of mature pitchers sparse, cover <5%, hairs patent, simple, (1–)2–3(–4)-celled, mostly 0.15–0.25 mm long, suberect or appressed, mixed with depressed-globose red glands 0.05 mm in diameter. Inner surface of pitcher with crescent-shaped pits, waxy surface absent. Mouth orbicular, 2.70–3.75 cm interior diameter, oriented at 45–50 degrees from the horizontal, straight, not curved until the dorsal 1/10 which is abruptly concave, forming a short but distinct column 3–4 × 4–5 mm. Peristome glossy dark red, subcylindrical in section, outer edge gradually attenuate until membranous, mostly appressed to outer pitcher surface, undulate, with 1–2(–4) shallow lobes on each side, inner edge with slender teeth c. 1 mm long, conspicuous only near the column, elsewhere inconspicuous due to the slight reflexing of the edge under the main peristome body. Lid ovate, length:breadth ratio 1.15–1.5:1, held more or less horizontally, apex rounded, base cordate, basal appendage absent, upper surface sparsely puberulous, indumentum as outer pitcher, with a pair of low, curved ridges each side of the slightly depressed midline, lower surface with 30–90 nectar glands scattered over the surface on each side of a midline band 4–5(–7) mm wide which lacks nectar glands, nectar glands thinly bordered, transversely elliptic, (0.4–)0.5–0.8(–0.95) × 0.35–0.50 mm. Spur erect, cylindrical, 3–5 × 0.9–1 mm, apex acute, puberulous with hairs 0.2–0.3 mm long. Primary upper pitchers produced on the lower part of the stem, up to c. 1.5m from the ground, tendrils (30–) 73–79 cm long, not coiled, pitchers sometimes resting on ground, outer pitcher surface uniformly bright red, lid green flushed red, pitcher length:breadth ratio 2–3:1, 5.7–18 × 2.7–6.8 cm, peristome (4–)6–10.5(–20) mm broad, ridges (0.9–)1.5–2.0 mm apart, (0.5–) 1.5 mm high; lid (3.6–)8.0 × (2.7–)6.0 cm. Secondary upper pitchers produced from stems more than 1.5m tall, tendrils 20–21 cm long, coiled, pitchers all aerial, outer pitcher surface glossy pale green, pitcher length:breadth ratio 4–5:1, 10–12 × 2.6–2.7 cm; peristome 6–7 mm across, ridges less pronounced than in primary upper pitchers; lid c. 3.85 × 1.75 cm. Infructescence racemose, c. 35 × 6 cm, peduncle c. 19 cm long, 0.6 cm diam. at base, rhachis c. 15.7 cm long with at least 78 1-flowered partial-peduncles; bracts absent; pedicels 8.5–9.0(–11.0) mm long, sepals elliptic-oblanceolate, c. 3.5–4.0 × 1.175 mm. Fruit stipitate, 4-valved, fusiform, 10–16 mm long, stipe 1.25 mm long. Seed fusiform, pale brown, 4.5 mm long, seedbody oblong, 1.75 mm long.

Etymology: —The specific epithet is chosen in honour of Julie F. Barcelona, Philippine botanist, specialist in Philippine ferns and Rafflesia Brown (1821: 207) and co-discoverer of this new Nepenthes species.

Distribution & ecology: — Philippines, Luzon, Sierra Madre Mts, submontane forest, sometimes stunted, 1500– 1700 m a.s.l.

Conservation: —The exact location is here withheld to reduce the risk of the plants being stripped from the wild for sale to hobbyists as has happened with other species of Nepenthes . We believe that seed has already entered the trade, and hope that this will allow production of plants through tissue culture or by other means that will reduce the demand on wild collection. No census has been taken of the numbers of individuals.

Although the type location is not immediately threatened, the wider area is in need of formal protected status. Slash and burn agriculture and illegal logging were observed at lower elevation in nearby areas (Tandang and Pelser, pers. obs. 2014). We here assess N. barcelonae as Critically Endangered under Criterion B2ab(iii) of IUCN (2014) since it is known from a single location, with an area of occupancy and extent of occurrence of <10km ² (using the currently IUCN-favoured 4km ² grid cell size), where it is threatened by collecting of mature individuals and where habitat degradation is encroaching.

Note s:— Nepenthes barcelonae is a poorly known species, since rosette and short stem phases (if produced), and flowers, remain undocumented. However, these features are also unknown in other species of the genus and are not a barrier to description and naming.

Paratypes: — PHILIPPINES: Luzon, Sierra Madre Mountain range , Aurora Province, fr. 22 Feb. 2014, Tandang (with Pelser & Barcelona) 1718 ( K!, PNH!) ; ibidem 1717 (PNH!).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Nepenthes barcelonae A) habit of stem, showing sessile leaf-blade bases; B) primary upper pitcher (side view); C) plan view of B, showing the orbicular pitcher mouth and ovate lid; D) indumentum of outer pitcher surface; E) secondary upper pitcher, frontal view; F) transversely elliptic nectar glands from lower surface of lid (from E); G) portion of inflorescence.All drawn from Tandang 1727 by Cheek.

FIGURE 2. Nepenthes barcelonae.A) climbing stem,terete-winged,showing sessileleaves; B) primaryupper pitcher showing inset mouth, and lid column; C) secondary upper pitcher, note green colouration and coiled tendril; D) primary upper pitcher, note red colouration and non-coiled tendril; E) lower surface of lid, secondary upper pitcher, note absence of nectar glands from midline; F) Side view of peristome of primary upper pitcher. Photos of Tandang 1727 by Pelser.