Nepenthes gantungensis | |
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An intermediate pitcher of N. gantungensis | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
(unranked): | Angiosperms |
(unranked): | Eudicots |
(unranked): | Core eudicots |
Order: | Caryophyllales |
Family: | Nepenthaceae |
Genus: | Nepenthes |
Species: | N. gantungensis |
Binomial name | |
Nepenthes gantungensis S.McPherson, Cervancia, Chi.C.Lee, Jaunzems, Mey & A.S.Rob. (2010) |
Nepenthes gantungensis is a tropical pitcher plant known from a single peak on the Philippine island of Palawan, where it grows at elevations of 1600–1784 m above sea level.
The species was discovered in early 2010 by Jehson Cervancia, Mark Jaunzems, Ch'ien Lee, and Stewart McPherson. The find was announced on the internet on February 28, 2010, under the placeholder name "Nepenthes sp. G". At this point McPherson was uncertain whether the taxon represented a new species or merely a variant of N. mira, and asked for input from carnivorous plant hobbyists who had cultivated the latter.
Nepenthes gantungensis was formally described by McPherson, Cervancia, Lee, Jaunzems, François Mey, and Alastair Robinson, in the second volume of McPherson's Carnivorous Plants and their Habitats, published in July 2010. The specific epithet gantungensis refers to Mount Gantung, the only locality from which it is known. The description was accompanied by nine figures, consisting of eight habitat photographs and a pencil drawing by François Mey showing the species's major anatomical features.
The herbarium specimen S.McPherson SRM 4 is the designated holotype, and is deposited at the herbarium of Palawan State University (PPC) in Puerto Princesa City. It was collected on January 25, 2010, from the summit area of Mount Gantung at 1754 m altitude. In preparing the species description, the describing authors also examined herbarium material of a number of closely allied species, including N. attenboroughii (specimens A.Robinson AR001 and AR002), N. mantalingajanensis (G.C.G.Argent & E.M.Romero 92114), N. mira (G.C.G.Argent et al. 25438), and N. rajah (Low s.n.).