Danser's Monograph on Nepenthes: Nepenthes Treubiana



47. Nepenthes Treubiana WARB. - N. Boschiana var. sumatrana MIQ., Fl., I, 1, p. 1074 (1858) ; Ill., p. 7 (1870) ; HOOK. F., in D.C., Prodr., XVII, p. 98 (1873) ; N. Boschiana MIQ., Fl., suppl., p. 161 (1860) ; N. maxima var. sumatrana BECC., Mal., III, p. 3 (1886) ; N. Treubiana WARB., in ENGL., Bot. Jahrb., XIII, p. 318 (1891) ; BOERL., Handl., III, 1, p. 54 (1900) ; MACF., in ENGL., Pflanzenr., IV, 111, p. 69 (1908) ; N. sumatrana BECK, Wien. Ill. Gartenz., 1895, p. 149 (1895) pro var.

Icon: nostra 25.

Folia mediocria petiolata, lamina lanceolata, nervis longitudinalibus utrinque 3-7, basi 2/3 caulis amplectente in alas 2 decurrente, vagina 0 ; ascidia rosularum ignota ; ascidia inferiora parva, ampullacea, alis 2 nonnunquam fimbriatis ; ascidia superiora magna, infundibuliformia, costis 2 elevatis v. alis 2 efimbriatis ; peristomio operculum versus acuminato, applanato, 5-15 mm lato, costis 1/3-1/2 mm distantibus, dentibus brevissimis ; operculo orbiculari basi cordato, facie inferiore plano ; inflorescentia racemus magnus, pedicellis inferioribus c. 15-20 mm longis 2-floris, superioribus 1-floris ; indumentum parcum breve patens.

Stems climbing, the part with adult leaves 7 to 8 mm thick, the internodes 4 to 6 cm long, almost cylindrical in the lower part, with one obtuse and 2 sharp winged angles towards the top. Leaves of the climbing stems scattered, coriaceous, petiolate, lamina lanceolate, 17 to 35 cm long, 5 to 7 cm broad, acute, gradually attenuate towards the base into the canaliculate, narrowly winged petiole 5 to 7 cm long, decurrent into 2 opposite wings, which are 2 to 3 mm broad at the top and gradually attenuate towards the base of the internode ; pennate nerves running obliquely towards the margin, irregularly reticulate in the outer part of the lamina ; longitudinal nerves 3 to 7 on each side, originating from the very base of the leaf, running parallel in the outer 1/2 or 2/3 part of the lamina ; tendrils 1 to 1 1/2 times as long as the leaf, always with curl. Pitchers of rosettes unknown. Lower pitchers small, urceolate, 5 to 6 cm high, 4 cm wide, the wings fimbriate here and there. Upper pitchers very gradually originating from the hanging tendril, incurved with a curve 45 to 75 mm wide, triangular in the curved part, infundibulate, slightly contracted at the mouth, 15 to 23 cm high, 5 to 8 cm wide, with 2 prominent ribs over the whole length, the wings here and there up to 10 mm broad, somewhat fringed in the broadest parts ; mouth nearly horizontal in front, acute or acuminate and strongly elevated towards the lid, sometimes elongated into a short neck ; peristome flattened 5 to 15 mm broad, the ribs 1/3 to 1/2 mm apart ; teeth of the inner margin less long than broad ; inner surface of the pitcher almost wholly glandular, about 1600 to 3200 glands on 1 cm2 ; a glandless triangle below the lid ; lid nearly orbicular, 6 to 7 1/2 cm long, 7 to 8 cm broad, slightly cordate, the lower surface flat or obtusely-keeled by a fold in the basal part of the midrib, with many round deepened and rimmed glands, which are larger towards the basal part of the midrib, smaller towards the margin, spur inserted at few mm from the lid, narrow and flat, 5 to 10 mm long, not branched. Male inflorescence a coarse raceme, the peduncle 10 to 20 cm long, about 7 mm thick, the axis longer, strongly grooved and angular ; pedicels nearly all of them 2-flowered, without bract, the lower ones about 30 mm long, the upper ones little shorter. Tepals orbicular-elliptical, about 5 mm long. Staminal column 4 to 5 mm long, the anthers included. Female inflorescence only known in the fruiting state, coarse, the peduncle about 17 cm long, 5 mm thick at the top, up to 8 mm at the base, cylindrical, the axis angular and grooved, about 25 cm long, attenuate; lower pedicels 15 to 18 mm long, 2-flowered, the upper ones

. Fig. 25. Nepenthes Treubiana, 1/2 x (TEYSMANN 535).

shorter, the upper-most ones 5 mm long, 1-flowered. Tepals oblong, obtuse, 4 to 5 mm long. Fruit 10 to 40 mm long, the valves 2 1/4 to 3 mm broad, attenuate towards both ends. Seeds filiform, the nucleus transversely wrinkled. Indumentum very sparse, the stems and the midribs below rather densely covered with spreading hairs when young, later almost glabrous ; fruiting inflorescence hairy only towards the flowers with short appressed or spreading hairs: perigone and fruit almost glabrous. Colour of the living pitchers red. Colour of herbarium specimens yellowish-brown in different hues, the non-glandular part of the inner surface of the pitcher blue and pruinose. (Description after all the specimens under mentioned, that of the lower pitchers completed after the description by WARBURG.)

SUMATRA. Res. Tapiannoeli: Sibolga, on the coast, II 1856, TEYSMANN 535, H. B. (f), H. A. R. T. (f), type of N. Boschiana var. sumatrana MIQ.

NEW GUINEA. Southwestern part: Coast of the Mc Cluers Gulf, near Sigar (= Sekar ?), 1889, WARBURG 20581, H. Berl. (m, f), type of N. Treubiana WARB.

Although it is strange, that a species has only been found once on the coast of Sumatra and once on the coast of New Guinea, the differences between the plants are so slight, that I follow MACFARLANE in uniting N. Boschiana var. sumatrana and N. Treubiana under the oldest specific name. BECCARI has placed the Sumatra plant as a variety under N. maxima, but it is as little related to N. maxima as to N. Boschiana.

About the mode of growth we are informed by WARBURG as follows (l.c.): "Diese prächtige Art ist nicht selten an der Küste des Mc Cluers-golfes in holländisch Neu-Guinea ; die Pflanze klettert dort direct am Meeresufer an den Sandsteinabhängen empor, bis sie einen Baum erreicht, in dessen Krone sie ca. 20-30' hoch ihre Blüten erfaltet." The mode of growth, observed by TEYSMANN, seems to be the same. TEYSMANN says about this in N. T. N. I., XIV, p. 363: "Among the plants collected to-day and the day before yesterday," (i.e. Febr. 3rd and 1st, 1856) "there were 4 species of Nepenthes (katoepat baroek, tjalong baroek, or taau-taau), growing here on the very coast between the scrub in a thin layer of humus, under which pure sea sand, or against steep rocks and the coast, when there was only some earth or moss for the germination. Some species are very common and luxuriant here and abound in flowers and fruits. The plants are all transported to Buiterzorg in living state, but from the seeds only those of one species I have succeeded in bringing to germinate, this growing very slowly but being very interesting, as the young plants, only few lines large, already bear minute pitchers".

The vernacular names, mentioned by TEYSMANN, refer to all the species, found by him near Sibolga ; the former 2 are Minangkabau, the latter is a wrong orthography for tahoel-tahoel, being the common Batak proper name for Nepenthes.


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