Nepenthes clipeata

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iNepenthes clipeata

Nepenthes clipeata. Cultivated plant.

Conservation status

Critically endangered (CR)

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Nepenthaceae
Genus:	Nepenthes
Species:	N. clipeata

Binomial name

Nepenthes clipeata
Danser, 1928

Distribution of N. clipeata.

Nepenthes clipeata (Latin: clipeus = round shield; referring to leaf shape) is a pitcher plant species of the genus Nepenthes known only from the near-vertical granite cliff faces of Gunung Kelam in Kalimantan, Indonesia. It has an altitudinal distribution of approximately 600-800 m. N. clipeata is the most endangered of all Nepenthes, with only about 15 plants remaining in the wild as of 1995 (Jebb, 1995).

Nepenthes clipeata holotype (Hallier 2344).

During the 1980s, Nepenthes collectors began to visit the mountain frequently and collect large numbers of plants. Local guides soon started to harvest specimens for their villages near the foot of the mountain. These rapidly perished and were replaced by new, freshly gathered specimens. Additional habitat stresses were caused by the El Niño of 1997/98 and frequent droughts and forest fires. The combination of these factors contributed to the rapid decline of wild populations of N. clipeata.

Despite this, N. clipeata is officially listed on CITES Appendix II and was until recently considered "Data Deficient" by the IUCN. There is little hope for the long-term survival of this species in the wild. The Nepenthes clipeata Survival Project (NcSP) has been set up by the International Carnivorous Plant Society (ICPS) to facilitate ex situ conservation of the species. It is unknown how many genetically distinct lines of white market plants exist in cultivation, but estimates place the number at three to four.

N. clipeata is characterised by its peltate leaves, whereby the tendril joins the underside of the lamina before the apex. Pitchers are large and can be up to 30 cm high. They are globose at the base and slightly infundibulate (funnel-shaped) in the upper part. The species produces only one type of pitcher and the stem does not climb, reaching only 2 m in length. The inflorescence is small, rarely exceeding 25 cm. All parts of the plant are densely covered with an indumentum of long, brown hairs.

No forms or varieties of N. clipeata have been described.

[edit] Natural hybrids

N. albomarginata × N. clipeata
N. clipeata × N. reinwardtiana

[edit] References

Clarke et al. (2000). Nepenthes clipeata. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 06 May 2006. Listed as Critically Endangered (CR A1a, B1+2e, D v2.3)
Clarke, C.M. 1997. Nepenthes of Borneo. Natural History Publications (Borneo), Kota Kinabalu, pp. 78-79, 170-172.