Nepenthes leonardoi
| Nepenthes leonardoi | |
|---|---|
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| An upper pitcher of a particularly dark variant of N. leonardoi, photographed by co-discoverer Stewart McPherson | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Core eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Nepenthaceae |
| Genus: | Nepenthes |
| Species: | N. leonardoi |
| Binomial name | |
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Nepenthes leonardoi S.McPherson, Bourke, Cervancia, Jaunzems & A.S.Rob. (2011) |
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Nepenthes leonardoi is a tropical pitcher plant known from a single locality in central Palawan, the Philippines. It is closely allied to several other Palawan endemics, including N. deaniana, N. gantungensis, and N. mira. The traps of this species reach at least 24 cm in height. Some specimens are noted for producing very dark, almost black, upper pitchers.
In his Carnivorous Plant Database, taxonomist Jan Schlauer treats N. leonardoi as a heterotypic synonym of N. deaniana.
Nepenthes leonardoi was discovered on November 18, 2010, by Greg Bourke, Jehson Cervancia, Mark Jaunzems, and Stewart McPherson. The species was initially known under the placeholder name "Nepenthes sp. Palawan".
Nepenthes leonardoi was formally described in the March 2011 issue of Carniflora Australis by McPherson, Bourke, Cervancia, Jaunzems, and Alastair Robinson. The specific epithet leonardoi honours Filipino botanist Leonardo Co, who was killed on the island of Leyte on November 15, 2010, reportedly as a result of "crossfire between government security forces and an insurgent group". The date of Co's death coincided with the first day of the Nepenthes expedition that led to the discovery of N. leonardoi. As explained in the species's describing paper:
The first four authors of this species discovered this plant on November 18th, and felt it fitting to name this plant, which is unique among Philippine Nepenthes in producing black pitchers, after Leonardo, in honour of his lifework and many accomplishments.
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