Nepenthes maryae Jebb & Cheek, 2016

Cheek, M. & Jebb, M., 2016, A new section in Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae) and a new species from Sulawesi, Blumea 61 (1), pp. 59-62 : 60-62

Nepenthes maryae Jebb & Cheek , sp. nov. — Fig. 1

Differing from N. hamata in the stems densely and persistently brown patent hairy (not glabrous); the blade-like peristome ridges 1.8–2.5 mm in length (not 12–16 mm); leaves of climbing stems (12.5–)14–17(–21.5) by 2.7–3.2 cm (not 5–7(–15) by 1.8–2.5 cm); male inflorescence partial peduncles short, <7.5 mm (not> 10 mm) and bracteate. — Type: Argent, Mendum & Hendrian 205 (holotype K; isotypes BO n.v., E), Indonesia, Central Sulawesi, exact location withheld for conservation reasons, fl. 27 Feb. 2000.

Etymology. Named for Mary Mendum , born Bates (1945–2004), staff botanist of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, botanical artist and taxonomist, specialising in Gesneriaceae of Southeast Asia, especially the genus Aeschynanthus Jack. She co-collected many specimens on expedi- tions in the Philippines and Indonesia, often with George Argent, including the type and currently only known specimen of Nepenthes maryae .

Terrestrial climber to c. 2 m tall. Rosette and short stems unknown.Climbing stems terete,internodes (3.5–) 4.5–5.5 cm long, (2.5–) 4–5 mm diam, drying black, c. 50 % covered in persis- tent patent pale brown hairs 0.5–0.6 mm long, hairs simple, multicellular, mixed with sessile depressed globose glands drying black, 0.06 mm diam. Leaf blades of climbing stems coriaceous, sessile, lanceolate-oblong, (12.5–)14–17(–21.5) by 2.7–3.2 cm, apex acute, subpeltate, base perfoliate-adnate, decurrent by (0.9–) 1.5–1.8 cm. Longitudinal nerves 2 pairs, in the marginal half, visible on both surfaces. Pennate nerves inconspicuous, irregular, patent to midrib, 5–8 mm apart. Indumentum of upper surface as the stem, but sometimes with a minute, inconspicuous branch 0.05 mm long, cover 5 %, hairs 0.3 mm long, midrib with 30–50 % cover, hairs 0.5 mm long; lower surface 50 % cover, hairs 0.3–0.5 mm long, denser on midrib. Tendrils (10–)15–17(–20) cm long, densely patent hairy, indumentum as stem. Upper pitchers (tendrils coiled) cylindrical 11–15 by (1.7–) 2–3 cm, green, slightly suffused with purplish red, wings running full length of pitchers, 3–5 mm wide, fringed only in upper 1/2–1/5, fringe elements 2–4 mm apart, 1–1.5 mm long, outer surface 2–50 % covered in a mixture of indumentum as stem, densest at pitcher base. Mouth rhombic, obtuse; straight, not concave, inner surface waxy white-grey; peristome 0.5–0.9 mm diam, ridges blade-like, in overall length to 1.8–2.5 mm diam, c. 1 mm high, 1–1.5 mm apart ( Fig. 1o–q ), column absent; lid elevated 45° above the horizontal, 90° above the mouth, ovate-elliptic 2.5–3.5 by 1.5–2 cm, lower surface without appendages, densely covered in orbicular and elliptic, thinly bordered nectar glands 0.2–0.25 mm diam, midline ridge at base with narrow elliptic nectar glands 0.6 by 0.06 mm, mixed with depressed globose glands 0.03 mm diam (drying black); hairs 2–7 per mm 2, patent, copper-coloured, simple or inconspicuously branched (0.2–)0.3–0.6(–0.8) mm long; spur dorsiventrally flattened, oblong-acute, slightly recurved, 4–5 by 1.5 mm, flanked by 1–2 cylindrical appendages of same length. Male inflorescence c. 15 by 2.5 cm, peduncle c. 6 cm long, 2 mm diam at base, 50 % covered in mainly appressed copper-coloured hairs 0.2 mm long; rachis c. 9 cm long, with c. 80–84 partial peduncles, partial peduncles 1-flowered, 4–7.5 mm long, 0.5 mm wide; bracts present on pedicels of proximal c. 60 flowers, each 0.8–1 mm long, acute, inserted 0–2.5 mm from base of partial-peduncle; flower colour unknown; tepals 4, oblanceolate-obovate, 3.5–4 by 1.5–1.9 mm, apex rounded, outer surface 5 % covered in minute copper-coloured simple appressed hairs 0.05 mm long, densest on margins; adaxial surface with nectar glands occupying c. 50 % of surface, glands elliptic, c. 0.25 by 0.15 mm, cohering or up to 0.1 mm apart, thinly bordered, deeply sunken; androphore terete, 5 mm long, 0.3 mm wide, glabrous; anther head 1–1.5 by 1.5–1.75 mm, anthers 4, in a single whorl, head of androphore conspicuous, glabrous. Female inflorescence, infructescence and seed unknown.

Distribution & Ecology — Indonesia, Central Sulawesi. Submontane mossy forest, along ridge with N. nigra , N. tentaculata and N. eymae Sh.Kurata ; 2100 m altitude.

Conservation — Currently no imminent threats are known at the only known location of this species. According to the lead collector, only one or two plants were seen at the single known location for N. maryae (Argent pers. comm. to Cheek). It is possible that less than 50 mature individuals are present. In the same section, and also from Sulawesi, N. pitopangii has a small population size reported of 13 individuals at just two widely separated sites, despite lengthy and dedicated searching ( McPherson 2011: 507–515).

Nepenthes maryae , like other species of the genus, may be restricted to the single mountain on which it was discovered, or to a small number of peaks. This is supported by the fact that so much dedicated exploration for Nepenthes novelties has taken place in the last 10 years on the mountains of Sulawesi that, had the species been present elsewhere, it would probably already have been discovered. Since on current evidence N. maryae is known only from a small population at a single site, it is here assessed as Vulnerable under criterion D2 of IUCN (2001).

Figures

Fig. 1 Nepenthes maryae Jebb & Cheek. a. Habit,climbing stem with male inflorescence and upper pitcher;b. subperfoliate-adnate leaf-base,adaxial surface, climbing stem; c. stem indumentum;d. detail of adaxial surface of leaf,including midrib; e. detail of abaxial surface of leaf; f. male flower; g. tepal, upper surface; h. lower surface of lid (base of lid concealed by mouth of upper pitcher); i. detail from h, midlateral section; j. detail from h, midline near base; k. indumentum, outer pitcher surface; l, m. details of the fasciculate spurs, upper pitcher (in l; lid lowermost; in m: lid uppermost); n. fringed wing, showing indumentum, upper pitcher; o. peristome, transverse section; p. peristome viewed from inside upper pitcher; q. peristome viewed from above (all from Argent et al. 205). — Scale bars: a, b = 5 cm; c, e, i–k = 1 mm; d = 2 mm; f, g, l, m, o–q = 5 mm; h, n = 1 cm. — Drawn by Andrew Brown.