''Nepenthes spectabilis'' is a tropical

pitcher plant Pitcher plants are several different carnivorous plants which have modified leaves known as pitfall traps—a prey-trapping mechanism featuring a deep cavity filled with digestive liquid. The traps of what are considered to be "true" pitcher p ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to Sumatra, where it grows at elevations of between 1400 and 2200 m above sea level. The specific epithet ''spectabilis'' is

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

for "visible" or "notable".Clarke, C.M. 2001. ''

Nepenthes of Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia ''Nepenthes of Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia'' is a monograph by Charles Clarke on the tropical pitcher plants of Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, and their minor surrounding islands. It was published in 2001 by Natural History Publications (Bor ...

''. Natural History Publications (Borneo), Kota Kinabalu.

Botanical history

The first known collection of ''N. spectabilis'' was made by Julius August Lörzing in 1920. The specimen ''Lörzing 7308'' was collected on June 5, 1920, on Mount Sibajak at an elevation of 1800 to 1900 m. It is deposited at the

Bogor Botanical Gardens The Bogor Botanical Gardens ( id, Kebun Raya Bogor) is a botanical garden located in Bogor, Indonesia, 60 km south of central Jakarta. It is currently operated by Indonesian Institute of Sciences (Indonesian: ''Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Ind ...

(formerly the Herbarium of the Buitenzorg Botanic Gardens) along with two isotypes which include both male and female floral material. A third isotype, sheet H.L.B. 928.350-170, is held at the

National Herbarium of the Netherlands National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

Leiden Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 119,713, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration wi ...

and includes female floral material. Lörzing made two further collections of ''N. spectabilis'' in 1921. A fourth specimen was collected by Mohamed Nur bin Mohamed Ghose later that same year. B. H. Danser formally described ''N. spectabilis'' in his seminal monograph "

The Nepenthaceae of the Netherlands Indies "The Nepenthaceae of the Netherlands Indies" is a seminal monograph by B. H. Danser on the tropical pitcher plants of the Dutch East Indies and surrounding regions. It was originally published in the ''Bulletin du Jardin Botanique de Buitenzorg ...

", published in 1928.Danser, B.H. 1928.

. ''Bulletin du Jardin Botanique de Buitenzorg'', Série III, 9(3–4): 249–438. He designated ''Lörzing 7308'' as the

type specimen In biology, a type is a particular specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to anchor or centralizes th ...

. Danser wrote:

This new species has only been found on the G. Sibajak and the G. Pinto, two tops of the same mountain ; the Bt. Semaik too certainly belongs to the same group. ''N. spectabilis'' grows above 1800 m elevation ; the habitat is alpine forest and scrub. It seems to be most closely related to '' N. sanguinea'' by the characters of the vegetative parts, but the inflorescences are quite different. Lörzing says of his number 8297 that it was a monoeceous plant ; since, however, in H. B. there is no stem fragment both with male and female flowers, I call this record into question.

The next major taxonomic treatment of ''N. spectabilis'' came only in 1986, when Rusjdi Tamin and Mitsuru Hotta covered the species in their monograph on the ''Nepenthes'' of Sumatra. Tamin, R. & M. Hotta 1986. ''Nepenthes'' di Sumatera: The genus ''Nepenthes'' of the Sumatra Island. In: M. Hotta (ed.) ''Diversity and Dynamics of Plant Life in Sumatra: Forest Ecosystem and Speciation in Wet Tropical Environments. Part 1: Reports and Collection of Papers.'' Kyoto University, Kyoto. pp. 75–109. An article authored by

Bruce Lee Bednar The English language name Bruce arrived in Scotland with the Normans, from the place name Brix, Manche in Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king Robert the Bruce (1274−1329), it has been ...

and published in a 1987 issue of the ''

Carnivorous Plant Newsletter The ''Carnivorous Plant Newsletter'' is the official publication of the International Carnivorous Plant Society (ICPS), the largest such organization in the world. It is headquartered in Walnut Creek, California. History and editorship The newsle ...

'' mentions a plant known as ''N. spectabilis'' in the

horticultural Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

trade. Taxonomist

Jan Schlauer Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Numb ...

considers this plant conspecific with ''N. curtisii'', which in turn is treated as a junior synonym of '' N. maxima''. In their 1997 revision of the genus,

Matthew Jebb Matthew Hilary Peter Jebb (born 1958) is an Irish botanist and taxonomist specialising in the ant plant genera ''Squamellaria'', '' Myrmecodia'', '' Hydnophytum'', ''Myrmephytum'' and '' Anthorrhiza'', as well as the carnivorous plant genus '' ...

and

Martin Cheek Martin Roy Cheek (born 1960) is a botanist and taxonomist at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.N. lavicola'' as belonging to ''N. spectabilis''. They also designated ''Lörzing 7308'' as the

lectotype In biology, a type is a particular specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to anchor or centralizes the ...

of ''N. spectabilis''.Jebb, M.H.P. & M.R. Cheek 1997. A skeletal revision of ''Nepenthes'' (Nepenthaceae). ''Blumea'' 42(1): 1–106. The subsequent monograph of

Charles Clarke Charles Rodway Clarke (born 21 September 1950) is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Norwich South from 1997 until 2010, and served as Home Secretary from December 2004 until May 2006. Early life T ...

treats these

taxa In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...

as distinct species.

Description

''Nepenthes spectabilis'' is a climbing plant. The stem can reach lengths of 6 m and is up to 7 mm in diameter. Internodes are cylindrical in cross section and up to 10 cm long. Leaves are

coriaceous This glossary of botanical terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to botany and plants in general. Terms of plant morphology are included here as well as at the more specific Glossary of plant morphology and Glossary o ...

and

sessile Sessility, or sessile, may refer to: * Sessility (motility), organisms which are not able to move about * Sessility (botany), flowers or leaves that grow directly from the stem or peduncle of a plant * Sessility (medicine), tumors and polyps that ...

. The

lamina Lamina may refer to: Science and technology * Planar lamina, a two-dimensional planar closed surface with mass and density, in mathematics * Laminar flow, (or streamline flow) occurs when a fluid flows in parallel layers, with no disruption betwee ...

is oblong and up to 16 cm long by 6 cm wide. It has a rounded-acute apex and is gradually

attenuate In physics, attenuation (in some contexts, extinction) is the gradual loss of flux intensity through a medium. For instance, dark glasses attenuate sunlight, lead attenuates X-rays, and water and air attenuate both light and sound at vari ...

towards the base. Up to 6 longitudinal veins are present on either side of the

midrib This glossary of botanical terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to botany and plants in general. Terms of plant morphology are included here as well as at the more specific Glossary of plant morphology and Glossary o ...

Pinnate Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and in ...

veins are usually indistinct.

Tendril In botany, a tendril is a specialized stem, leaf or petiole with a threadlike shape used by climbing plants for support and attachment, as well as cellular invasion by parasitic plants such as '' Cuscuta''. There are many plants that have tend ...

s are up to 25 cm long. Rosette and lower pitchers are narrowly ovoid in the lower third to half of the pitcher cup. Above the hip, they are cylindrical and somewhat narrower. Terrestrial pitchers are relatively small, growing to 12 cm in height and 4 cm in width. A pair of fringed wings (≤4 mm wide) runs down the front of the pitcher. The glandular region covers the ovoid portion of the pitcher's inner surface; the waxy zone above is well developed. The mouth is round and flat at the front, becoming oblique towards the lid. The

peristome Peristome (from the Greek ''peri'', meaning 'around' or 'about', and ''stoma'', 'mouth') is an anatomical feature that surrounds an opening to an organ or structure. Some plants, fungi, and shelled gastropods have peristomes. In mosses In mosse ...

is cylindrical in cross section and up to 4 mm wide. Its inner margin is lined with small but distinct teeth. The inner portion of the peristome accounts for around 41% of its total cross-sectional surface length.Bauer, U., C.J. Clemente, T. Renner & W. Federle 2012. Form follows function: morphological diversification and alternative trapping strategies in carnivorous ''Nepenthes'' pitcher plants. ''Journal of Evolutionary Biology'' 25(1): 90–102. The pitcher lid or operculum is sub-

orbicular Orbicular is an adjective meaning "circular" Orbicular may also refer to: * Orbicular leaf, a plant leaf shape * Orbicularis oculi muscle, a muscle around the eye * Orbicularis oris muscle, a muscle around the mouth * Orbicular batfish, a specie ...

in shape, lacks appendages, and has a strongly

cordate Cordate is an adjective meaning ' heart-shaped' and is most typically used for: * Cordate (leaf shape) The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a ...

base. The

spur A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of riding boots for the purpose of directing a horse or other animal to move forward or laterally while riding. It is usually used to refine the riding aids (commands) and to ba ...

is very long (≤30 mm) and unbranched. It is inserted near the base of the lid. Upper pitchers arise gradually from the end of the tendril. They are very narrowly

infundibular An infundibulum (Latin for ''funnel''; plural, ''infundibula'') is a funnel-shaped cavity or organ. Anatomy * Brain: the pituitary stalk, also known as the ''infundibulum'' and ''infundibular stalk'', is the connection between the hypothalamus and ...

in the lower half to three-quarters. Above the hip, they are either cylindrical or narrowly infundibular. Aerial pitchers are much larger than their terrestrial counterparts, growing to 26 cm in height and 4.5 cm in width. They usually have ribs in place of wings, although fringe elements may be present near the peristome. The glandular region covers the inner surface below the hip. The pitcher mouth is round and has a steeply oblique insertion. The peristome is cylindrical and up to 3 mm wide. Other parts of the upper pitchers are similar to those of the lower pitchers. ''Nepenthes spectabilis'' has a

racemose A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphology (biology), Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of sperma ...

. The peduncle grows to 12 cm in length. The

rachis In biology, a rachis (from the grc, ῥάχις [], "backbone, spine") is a main axis or "shaft". In zoology and microbiology In vertebrates, ''rachis'' can refer to the series of articulated vertebrae, which encase the spinal cord. In this c ...

may be up to 15 cm long, although it is usually shorter and denser in female inflorescences. Partial peduncles are bracteolate and two-flowered.

Sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coine ...

s are elliptic-oblong in shape and up to 5 mm long. ''Nepenthes spectabilis'' exhibits considerable variation in the development of its

indumentum In biology, an indumentum (Latin, literally: "garment") is a covering of trichomes (fine "hairs") on a plant Davis, Peter Hadland and Heywood, Vernon Hilton (1963) ''Principles of angiosperm taxonomy'' Van Nostrandpage, Princeton, New Jersey, pa ...

. In most plants, developing parts are covered in short, stellate reddish-brown hairs, although many of these are

caducous Dehiscence is the splitting of a mature plant structure along a built-in line of weakness to release its contents. This is common among fruits, anthers and sporangia. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part; structures that op ...

. Inflorescences and the margins of the lamina bear dense, stellate reddish-brown hairs that are persistent. A dense covering of short, persistent hairs is also present on the lower surface of the midrib. The stem and lamina are green. Pitchers are characteristically light green with numerous dark brown speckles. The peristome is often yellowish-green with brown stripes.

Ecology

''Nepenthes spectabilis'' is

to the

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

provinces A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

of North Sumatra and Aceh. Its natural range stretches from the

Lake Toba Lake Toba ( id, Danau Toba) ( Toba Batak: ᯖᯀᯬ ᯖᯬᯅ; romanized: ''Tao Toba'') is a large natural lake in North Sumatra, Indonesia, occupying the caldera of a supervolcano. The lake is located in the middle of the northern part of the i ...

region in the south to

Mount Kemiri Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, Co ...

in the north. It has an elevational distribution of 1400–2200 m above sea level. ''Nepenthes spectabilis'' grows in

mossy forest A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF), is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, montane, moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud c ...

and stunted upper

montane forest Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial ...

. It usually occurs terrestrially, but may also be

epiphytic An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

.Hopkins, M., R. Maulder & B. .Salmon 1990. ''

'' 19(1–2): 19–28.McPherson, S.R. & A. Robinson 2012. ''

Field Guide to the Pitcher Plants of Sumatra and Java This list of ''Nepenthes'' literature is a listing of major published works dealing with the tropical pitcher plants of the genus ''Nepenthes''. It includes specialised standalone publications and taxonomic monographs released as part of large ...

''. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole. Certain populations of ''N. spectabilis'' differ considerably in morphology. Plants from the type locality produce relatively broad upper pitchers, while those from

Mount Pangulubao Mount Pangulubao or Pangulubau ( id, Gunung Pangulubao) is a mountain near Lake Toba in Sumatra. Mount Pangulubao is notable for its large number of native tropical pitcher plant species. These include ''Nepenthes ampullaria'', '' Nepenthes gym ...

are much narrower. A particularly gracile form has been recorded from the west side of Lake Toba. Plants from Mount Siluatan are different still, producing pitchers that are green throughout. The species also exhibits great variability in the extent of the

; some plants have a dense covering of hairs, while others are virtually

glabrous Glabrousness (from the Latin '' glaber'' meaning "bald", "hairless", "shaved", "smooth") is the technical term for a lack of hair, down, setae, trichomes or other such covering. A glabrous surface may be a natural characteristic of all or part of ...

. The form of ''N. spectabilis'' from

Mount Bandahara Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

is very large and has an unusual flared peristome. Plants grow in ''

Sphagnum ''Sphagnum'' is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, peat moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store wa ...

'' moss. In 1996, Paul Harwood,

Heiko Rischer Heiko may refer to: * Heiko (given name) (including a list of people with the name) * Heiko (film), a 2008 short film See also * HEICO HEICO Corporation is an aerospace and electronics company that focuses on niche markets. HEICO’s product ...

and

Andreas Wistuba Andreas Wistuba (born 4 March 1967) is a German taxonomist and botanist specialising in the carnivorous plant genera ''Heliamphora'' and '' Nepenthes''. More than half of all known ''Heliamphora'' species have been described by Wistuba. Pub ...

observed that the majority of prey in both lower and upper pitchers of this form consisted of

beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

s. They also found

infaunal Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. Zoo ...

mosquito Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning " gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "li ...

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e in the pitchers. In the wild, ''N. spectabilis'' is sympatric with '' N. flava'',Wistuba, A., J. Nerz & A. Fleischmann 2007
flava'', a new species of Nepenthaceae from the northern part of Sumatra
''Blumea'' 52(1): 159–163. '' N. gymnamphora'', '' N. mikei'', '' N. ovata'', '' N. rhombicaulis'', and '' N. rigidifolia''. Natural hybrids with all of these species except ''N. flava'' have been recorded.Salmon, B.R. & R.G. Maulder 1995
Two New Species of ''Nepenthes'' from North Sumatra, Indonesia
''

'' 24(3): 77–85. Due to the patchy distribution of ''N. spectabilis'', its

conservation status The conservation status of a group of organisms (for instance, a species) indicates whether the group still exists and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing conservatio ...

is listed as Vulnerable on the 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Upon observing ''N. spectabilis'' on Mount Pangulubao in 1995, botanist

wrote that he "got the impression that collectors had taken a bit of a toll on the population, partly because very few immature plants were visible".Clarke, C. .1997
Another Nice Trip to Sumatra
''

'' 26(1): 4–10.

Related species

''Nepenthes spectabilis'' is thought to be most closely related to '' N. lavicola''. It can be distinguished from that species on the basis of its smaller floral bracts, longer

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

s, and very long unbranched

. In addition, the species differ in the shape of their lower pitchers. Those of ''N. lavicola'' are urceolate to

globose A sphere () is a geometrical object that is a three-dimensional analogue to a two-dimensional circle. A sphere is the set of points that are all at the same distance from a given point in three-dimensional space.. That given point is the ...

, while those of ''N. spectabilis'' are ovoid in the lower part and cylindrical above. Furthermore, the pitchers of ''N. lavicola'' are generally dark brown or purple throughout, compared to the light green and dark brown speckled traps of ''N. spectabilis''.Wistuba, A. & H. Rischer 1996
''Nepenthes lavicola'', a new species of Nepenthaceae from the Aceh Province in the North of Sumatra
''

'' 25(4): 106–111. In ''

'',

mentions an undescribed taxon from Aceh that is intermediate in appearance between ''N. lavicola'' and ''N. spectabilis''. It is unlikely to be of hybridogenic origin as it is not sympatric with any other ''Nepenthes'' species. '' Nepenthes rigidifolia'' also bears a superficial resemblance to ''N. spectabilis'', particularly in the colouration of its pitchers. Apart from its markedly different upper pitchers, ''N. spectabilis'' differs from the former in having thin leaves, an unbranched spur, and an apical tendril insertion.Akhriadi, P., Hernawati & R. Tamin 2004
A new species of ''Nepenthes'' (Nepenthaceae) from Sumatra.
''Reinwardtia'' 12(2): 141–144. In his 1928 monograph, B. H. Danser placed ''N. spectabilis'' in the ''

Nobiles The ''nobiles'' ( ''nobilis'') were members of a social rank in the Roman Republic indicating that one was "well known". This may have changed over time: in Cicero's time, one was notable if one descended from a person who had been elected consul. ...

'' clade. He wrote:

The third group, that of the ''Nobiles'', comprises the species that form a transition between the ''Vulgatae'' and the ''Montanae'' on one hand and the ''Regiae'' on the other. ''N. spectabilis'', from Sumatra, reminds one of ''N. sanguinea'' in many respects but shows a resemblance with the ''Regiae'' by the yellowish colour of herbarium specimens and by the red-brown indumentum.

Clarke suggests that ''N. spectabilis'' "would perhaps have been better placed in the '' Montanae'', which includes several species that appear to be closely related, such as '' N. gymnamphora'' and '' N. pectinata''". In 2001, Clarke published a

cladistic analysis Cladistics (; ) is an approach to biological classification in which organisms are categorized in groups ("clades") based on hypotheses of most recent common ancestry. The evidence for hypothesized relationships is typically shared derived chara ...

of the ''Nepenthes'' species of Sumatra and

Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia ( ms, Semenanjung Malaysia; Jawi: سمننجڠ مليسيا), or the States of Malaya ( ms, Negeri-negeri Tanah Melayu; Jawi: نڬري-نڬري تانه ملايو), also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, ...

based on 70 morphological characteristics of each taxon. The resultant

cladogram A cladogram (from Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an evolutionary tree because it does not show how ancestors are related to ...

placed ''N. spectabilis'' in a small clade with '' N. gymnamphora''. However, since the study was limited in its geographical scope, this placement may not accurately reflect the relationship between ''N. spectabilis'' and its closest relatives.

Natural hybrids

''Nepenthes spectabilis'' occurs sympatrically with many other ''Nepenthes'' species and a number of natural hybrids have been recorded.

''N. ovata'' × ''N. spectabilis''

Nepenthes ovata ''Nepenthes ovata'' is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sumatra. The specific epithet ''ovata'' is Latin for "ovate" and refers to the shape of the lower pitchers. Botanical history ''Nepenthes ovata'' was first collected as early as Novem ...

'' × ''N. spectabilis'' is known to occur along the summit trail of Mount Pangulubao. This hybrid produces pitchers roughly intermediate in appearance between its parent species. The peristome is flattened and expanded, but to a lesser degree than in ''N. ovata''. The speckles of ''N. spectabilis'' are present, but the pitchers have a much lighter colouration. Most examples of this hybrid grow terrestrially and some climb into the forest canopy.

''N. rigidifolia'' × ''N. spectabilis''

Several plants representing the cross '' N. rigidifolia'' × ''N. spectabilis'' have been recorded from an open rocky outcrop close to the type locality of ''N. rigidifolia''. The hybrid differs from ''N. rigidifolia'' in having narrower pitchers with an

base and distinct hip around the middle. On the other hand, the pitchers of this hybrid are broader than those of ''N. spectabilis'' and have a wider, expanded peristome. The richly coloured lower pitchers of ''N. rigidifolia'' × ''N. spectabilis'' superficially resemble those of '' N. macfarlanei''. However, since that species is confined to

, the two

are not easily confused.

Other hybrids

Four other natural hybrids with ''N. spectabilis'' have been recorded. These are '' N. gymnamphora'' × ''N. spectabilis'', '' N. mikei'' × ''N. spectabilis'', '' N. rhombicaulis'' × ''N. spectabilis'', and ''N. spectabilis'' × '' N. tobaica''.

Notes

References

External links

* Danser, B.H. 1928

In:

. ''Bulletin du Jardin Botanique de Buitenzorg'', Série III, 9(3–4): 249–438. {{Taxonbar, from=Q4924691 Carnivorous plants of Asia spectabilis Endemic flora of Sumatra Plants described in 1928 Threatened flora of Asia Vulnerable plants Taxa named by Benedictus Hubertus Danser