Nepenthes alata

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Nepenthes alata
Cultivated N. alata "Mimic".
Cultivated N. alata "Mimic".
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Nepenthaceae
Genus: Nepenthes
Species: N. alata
Binomial name
Nepenthes alata
Blanco (1837)
Synonyms
  • Nepenthes alata
    auct. non Blanco: Danser (1928)
    [=N. alata/N. eustachya/N. gracillima/N. mirabilis]
  • Nepenthes alata
    auct. non Blanco: Shivas (1984)
    [=N. gracillima]
  • Nepenthes alata
    auct. non Blanco: Smythies (1965)
    [=N. stenophylla]
  • Nepenthes blancoi
    Bl. (1852)
  • Nepenthes cristata
    Brongn. (1824)
    [=N. alata/N. madagascariensis]
  • Nepenthes graciliflora
    Elm. (1912)
  • Nepenthes melamphora
    auct. non Reinw. ex Bl.: Fern.-Vill. (1880)

Nepenthes alata (Latin: alatus = winged) is a species of pitcher plant native to the Philippines. It is one of the easiest and most popular Nepenthes species in cultivation.

N. alata is closely related to several other species, including N. copelandii, N. eustachya, N. mindanaoensis, N. philippinensis, and N. saranganiensis.

Morphological differences between N. alata and N. eustachya (Jebb & Cheek, 1997)
Morphological character N. alata N. eustachya
Leaf blade lanceolate-ovate lanceolate
Leaf apex acute or attenuate rounded to sub-peltate
Petiole broadly winged scarcely or not winged
Spur simple, acutely pointed simple or bifurcate
Indumentum reddish or whitish hairs absent throughout
Structure of pitcher base texture similar to rest of pitcher, abruptly attenuate to tendril angular, woody, gradually attenuate to tendril

N. alata occurs in mossy forest at elevations ranging from 800 to 2,400 m.[1]

[edit] Forms and varieties

  • N. alata f. variegata Hort. ex Mann (1996) nom.nud.
  • N. alata var. biflora Macf. (1908)
  • N. alata var. ecristata Macf. (1908)

[edit] Natural hybrids

N. × mirabilata (N. alata × N. mirabilis) and N. × tsangoya ((N. alata × N. merrilliana) × N. mirabilis) were mentioned as natural hybrids in Guide to Nepenthes Hybrids (1995), however the known ranges of the parent species do not overlap in the wild.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Jebb, M. & M. Cheek 1997. A Skeletal Revision of Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae). Blumea 42: 1-106.
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