Nepenthes truncata

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Nepenthes truncata

Lower pitcher of N. truncata. Cultivated plant - Kuching, Borneo.

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

Binomial name

Nepenthes truncata
Macfarl. (1911)

Synonyms

Nepenthes megamphora
Merr. & Quis in sched. (1915)

Nepenthes truncata (pronounced /nəˈpɛnθiːz trʌŋˈkɑːtə/, from Latin: truncatus = terminating abruptly) is a carnivorous pitcher plant species endemic to the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. The typical form grows on exposed mountainsides at an altitude of between 230 and 600 m; a highland variety grows at higher elevations. N. truncata is characterised by its heart-shaped (truncate) leaves and very large pitchers, which can reach up to 50 cm in height.

[edit] Carnivory

On September 29, 2006, at the Botanical Gardens in Lyon, France, a Nepenthes truncata was photographed containing the decomposing corpse of a mouse. This incident is the first record of a mammal being successfully trapped in the pitchers of N. truncata. Both N. rajah^[1] and N. rafflesiana^[2] are known to occasionally catch small mammals in the wild.

Large lower pitcher of Nepenthes truncata

Highland form of N. truncata, cultivated plant

Highland form, cultivated plant

[edit] References

^ Phillipps, A. 1988. A Second Record of Rats as Prey in Nepenthes rajah.PDF (203 KiB) Carnivorous Plant Newsletter 17(2): 55.
^ Moran, J.A. 1991. The role and mechanism of Nepenthes rafflesiana pitchers as insect traps in Brunei. Ph.D. thesis, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland.

Clarke, C.M., R. Cantley, J. Nerz, H. Rischer & A. Witsuba (2000). Nepenthes truncata. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Listed as Endangered (EN B1+2d v2.3).
Jebb, M. & M. Cheek 1997. A Skeletal Revision of Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae). Blumea 42(1): 89.
WGAL News: Carnivorous Plant Eats Mouse at French Garden