Fig. 6. Nepenthes fusca (ENDERT 3955) ; a. part of a climbing stem of a
male plant, 1/2 x ; b. lower leaf of the same plant, 1/2 x.13. Nepenthes fusca DANS., nova spec.; N.? Veitchii END., Midd. O. Born. Exp. 1925, p. 277 (1927).
Icon: nostra 6.
Folia mediocria breviter petiolata, lamina lanceolata, nervis longitudinalibus utrinque c. 2, vagina caulis 1/2 amplectente ; ascidia rosularum ignota ; ascidia inferiora magnitudine mediocria, parte inferiore anguste ovata, os versus subcylindrica, parte superiore alis 2 fimbriatis ; peristomio in collum elongato, applanato, 4-10 mm lato, costis c. 1/3-2/3 mm distantibus, dentibus c. tam longis quam latis ; operculo anguste ovato, subcordato, facie inferiore appendice lateraliter applanata ; ascidia superiora magnitudine mediocria, infundibuliformia, costis 2 prominentibus ; peristomio in collum elongato, applanato, 3-8 mm lato, costis 1/3-1/4 mm distantibus, dentibus brevissimis ; operculo anguste ovato, subcordato, facie inferiore prope basin appendice lateraliter applanata ; inflorescentia racemis parvus, pedicillis inferioribus c. 8 mm longis, omnibus 1-floris v. partim 2-floris ; indumentum iuventute densissimum, denique passim densum, breve, e pilis patentibus crassis simplicibus v. basi ramosis compositum
Stems climbing, cylindrical in the lower part, about 7 mm thick, slightly flattened, about 5 1/2 mm broad, 3 1/2 mm thick in the upper part, little branched, the internodes 5 to 7 cm long. Rosettes unknown. Lower leaves scattered, thin-coriaceous, petiolate, the blade oblong or obovate-oblong, about 15 cm long, 5 1/2 cm broad, acute or subobtuse, gradually attenuate into the petiole, the petiole canaliculate, narrowly winged, forming a laterally flattened, almost wholly amplexicaul sheath ; pennate nerves irregularly reticulate, the longitudinal ones 4 on each side, running parallel in the outer l/3 part of the blade, all of them originating from the leaf base ; tendrils about as long as the lamina, robust. Leaves of the climbing stems scattered or seemingly alternate, thin-coriaceous, petiolate, the lamina lanceolate, usually 12 to 15 cm long, 3 to 5 cm broad, acute, rather gradually attenuate into the petiole, the petiole about 3 cm long, canaliculate, narrowly winged, forming a short semiamplexicaul sheath ; pennate nerves reticulate, longitudinal ones hardly distinguishable from the pennate network, usually 2 on each side, running parallel in the upper part ; tendrils about 1 1/2 times as long as the lamina, always with curl. Pitchers of the lower leaves about 15 cm high, abruptly originating from the hanging tendril, shortly incurved, narrowly ovate and 4 1/2 cm wide in the lower 3/5 part, almost cylindrical and about 3 1/2 cm wide in the upper part, slightly widened at the mouth, only in the upper half
.
Fig. 6. Nepenthes fusca (ENDERT 3955) ; a. part of a climbing stem of a
male plant, 1/2 x ; b. lower leaf of the same plant, 1/2 x.
with 2 fringed wings, the wings up to 3 mm broad, the fringe segments up to
8 mm long, about 5 mm apart ; mouth almost horizontal in front, strongly
elevated towards the lid and elongated into a neck ; peristome
flattened-cylindrical, about 4 mm broad in front, up to 10 mm near the lid, the
ribs about 1/3 to 2/3 mm apart, the teeth of the interior margin about as long
as broad ; interior surface of the pitcher with minute overarched glands in the
lower 3/5 part, about 600-650 glands on 1 cm2, lid narrowly ovate,
slightly cordate at the base, about 5 cm long, about 2 cm broad near the base,
in the basal part of the midrib below with a laterally flattened nail-shaped
appendage, with scattered, small, round glands over the whole surface, which
are larger and more numerous near the the appendage ; spur about 8 mm long,
inserted at about 8 mm from the lid, ascending from the backrib of the pitcher
and reflexed, not branched. Upper pitchers abruptly originating from the
hanging end of the tendril, incurved with a 20 mm wide curve, very gradually
infundibuliform, about 10 to 15 cm high, 2 to 4 cm wide under the mouth, with 2
prominent ribs over the whole length ; mouth oval, almost horizontal in front,
strongly incurved and acuminate towards the lid ; peristome flattened, 3 to 4
mm broad in front, 5 to 8 mm broad towards the lid, the ribs about 1/3 to 1/4
mm apart, the teeth of the interior margin hardly as long as broad ; interior
surface of the pitcher glandular to the height of the front side of the
peristome, with minute overarched glands, about 1500-2000 glands on 1
cm2, the triangle under the lid glandless ; spur and lid like those
of the lower pitchers. Male inflorescence a small seemingly lateral
raceme, the peduncle about 3 to 6 cm long, about 1 1/2 cm thick, the axis 8 to
10 cm long, attenuate, the pedicels sometimes all of them 1-flowered, sometimes
partly 2-flowered, the lower ones about 8 mm long, the upper ones shorter, all
of them without bract. Tepals elliptical, obtuse, about 3 mm long. Staminal
column 4 to 5 mm long, the anthers inclusive, which are placed in 1 to 1 1/2
whorl. Female inflorescence &c. unknown. Indumentum very
dense on the young stem, afterwards less dense, composed of short, spreading,
coarse, rusty-red hairs, which are partly branched at the base, partly not ;
the leaves with sparse simple hairs above when young, glabrous when adult, very
densely haired with short, not branched hairs when young, less dense when
adult, the pitchers hairy in the same way as the leaves beneath, more sparsely
hairy when adult, the inflorescences in the same way, but permanently hairy,
the staminal column shortly pubescent. Colour of the pitchers brown-red
or green with red-brown spots, the flower with red points ; colour of herbarium
specimens brown in different hues, the leaves fallow-dun to yellowish above,
the underside and the pitchers ochreous-brown, the indumentum more cinnamomeous
or rusty. (Description after the specimen ENDERT 3955.)
BORNEO. Res. Southern and Eastern Division: Mt. Kemoel, 1500 m, 12 X 1925, ENDERT 3955, H. B. (m).
This new species is, together with N. Veitchii and N. stenophylla, very nearly related to N. maxima, but can not be confounded with any of these species. According to ENDERT it grew in the forest on a narrow, stony mountain ridge covered with humus, and was not rare.