Nepenthes chang
Encyclopedia
Nepenthes chang is a tropical pitcher plant
endemic to the Banthad Mountains of central Thailand
, where it grows at elevations of 300–600 m above sea level. It is thought to be most closely related to N. kampotiana
.
The specific epithet chang refers to the Thai island of Ko Chang
, where the type specimen was collected.
in 1929. This specimen, Kerr 17727, was collected at an elevation of around 600 m from Khao Kuap, Trat Province
, Thailand
. It is deposited at the Bangkok Herbarium (BK).
Nepenthes chang was formally described
by Marcello Catalano
in his 2010 book, Nepenthes della Thailandia. The description was reviewed by Alastair Robinson
, while Andreas Fleischmann provided the Latin
translation. Catalano 013394 was designated as the holotype
. This specimen was collected by Catalano in 2009 from Ko Chang
island at an altitude of about 300 m. It is deposited at the Chulalongkorn University Herbarium
(BCU).
is terete and 4–6 mm in diameter. Internode
s are up to 5 cm long. The stem is typically orange to red in rosettes
and light green in climbing plants.
Leaves are sessile and coriaceous in texture. The lamina (leaf blade) is lanceolate, measures up to 35 cm in length by 5 cm in width, and is around 0.2 mm thick. Its apex is acute and it is attenuate at the base, clasping the stem for around three-quarters of its circumference and being decurrent for up to 4 cm. Three longitudinal veins are present on either side of the midrib, restricted to the distal quarter of the lamina. Pinnate veins are also visible, and arise obliquely from the midrib. Tendril
s are up to 30 cm long and 2 mm in diameter. They are coiled in upper pitchers. The laminae of older leaves are typically dark green, whereas those of younger leaves range in colour from reddish in rosettes, through an orange hue on laminae of the lower stem, to yellowish on the upper stem. Like the stem, the midrib and tendrils are orange to red in rosettes and light green in climbing plants.
Rosette and lower pitchers are either wholly ovate or only ovate in the basal third of the pitcher cup and narrower above. They measure up to 12 cm in height by 5 cm in width and are broader than they are deep. The hip, when present, is positioned in the midsection of the trap. A pair of wings (≤6 mm wide) runs down the ventral surface of the pitcher cup, bearing narrow fringe elements. The pitcher mouth is orbicular to ovate and has an oblique insertion. The peristome
is cylindrical and up to 5 mm wide at the sides, with teeth up to 0.3 mm long. The pitcher lid or operculum
is orbicular to ovate or elliptic. It is flat and has a slightly cordate base. It measures up to 4 cm in length by 3.5 cm in width. The lower surface of the lid does not have any appendages, but bears numerous crater-like glands (≤1 mm in diameter), the largest of which are located around the base of the midline. An unbranched spur (≤6 mm long) is inserted near the base of the lid. On their outer surface, terrestrial pitchers are typically green to orange or pink with red stripes. Red blotches may or may not be found in the waxy zone of the inner surface. The peristome ranges in colour from green to red.
The tubulose upper pitchers are considerably larger than their terrestrial counterparts, measuring up to 25 cm in height by 3 cm in width. The wings, if present, are up to 1 mm wide, otherwise they are reduced to a pair of ridges. The pitcher mouth has an oblique insertion. The peristome of upper pitchers often has a slightly lobed outer margin and is uniform in width. The lid as well as other parts of the pitcher are similar to those found in terrestrial traps. Aerial pitchers have a lighter pigmentation than their lower counterparts, being light green on the outer surface. Red blotches may or may not be present on the waxy inner surface. The peristome is green throughout, while the lid may be entirely green or bear fine red stripes.
Nepenthes chang has a racemose
inflorescence
. In male plants, it reaches 70 cm in length, of which the peduncle
constitutes 35–50 cm and the rachis
17–22 cm. Around 30–130 flowers are borne on two-flowered partial peduncles measuring 1–3 mm in length, with pedicels
2–9 mm long. Some or all of the partial peduncles may bear a short bract
(≤0.5 mm long) in their basal half. The androphore is up to 1.5 mm long and bears hairs for up to half of its length. Tepal
s are elliptic and up to 3 mm long by 1.5 mm wide. The tepals are green when newly-opened, but later darken to orange or red. The female inflorescence differs markedly in structure from the male one, bearing flowers solitarily on ebracteate pedicels measuring 3–12 mm in length. It also differs in having a rachis that is 8–22 cm long and tepals that are always green.
An indumentum
of white or golden hairs (0.1–0.5 mm long) is present on all parts of the plant apart from the upper surface of the lamina.
Like all pyrophytic
Nepenthes from Indochina
, N. chang has a well-developed rootstock.
, where it has been recorded from two localities: Khao Kuap and the island of Ko Chang
. The species grows terrestrially on peat
y soil in open, steep forest. It has an altitudinal distribution of 300–600 m above sea level. It is possible that its range extends into the nearby Cardamom Mountains
of Cambodia
.
Nepenthes chang has no known natural hybrids.
. It can be distinguished from this species on the basis of the two-flowered partial peduncles of the male inflorescence, as opposed to the one-flowered pedicels of N. kampotiana. Nepenthes chang also differs in that its androphores are partially hairy, whereas those of N. kampotiana are glabrous. The laminae of N. kampotiana are considerably thicker (0.5 mm versus 0.2 mm) and always have a light green colouration, as compared to the yellowish to reddish young leaves of N. chang. Nepenthes kampotiana also lacks an indumentum
, being glabrous throughout. The terrestrial traps of N. chang are typically wider than they are deep, while those of N. kampotiana are uniformly ovate. The two species also differ in the shape of their aerial pitchers: those of N. chang are tubulose throughout, whereas those of N. kampotiana are obovate or ovate in their basal half. In lower pitchers of N. chang, the peristome
is often wider at the sides, whereas that found in the traps of N. kampotiana tends to be uniform in width.
Pitcher plant
Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants whose prey-trapping mechanism features a deep cavity filled with liquid known as a pitfall trap. It has been widely assumed that the various sorts of pitfall trap evolved from rolled leaves, with selection pressure favouring more deeply cupped leaves over...
endemic to the Banthad Mountains of central Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, where it grows at elevations of 300–600 m above sea level. It is thought to be most closely related to N. kampotiana
Nepenthes kampotiana
Nepenthes kampotiana is a tropical pitcher plant native to southern Cambodia, eastern Thailand, and western Vietnam. The specific epithet kampotiana refers to the Cambodian city of Kampot, close to which the first specimens of this species were collected.This species is closely related to...
.
The specific epithet chang refers to the Thai island of Ko Chang
Ko Chang
Ko Chang is the third largest island of Thailand , located on the Thai east coast 310 km away from Bangkok near the border to Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand. The name means Elephant Island. Ko Chang was named for the elephant shape of its headland, although elephants are not indigenous to...
, where the type specimen was collected.
Botanical history
The first known collection of N. chang was made by Arthur Francis George KerrArthur Francis George Kerr
Arthur Francis George Kerr was an Irish medical doctor. He is known particularly now for his botanical work, which was important for the study of the flora of Thailand....
in 1929. This specimen, Kerr 17727, was collected at an elevation of around 600 m from Khao Kuap, Trat Province
Trat Province
Trat is a province of Thailand. It is located in the east of Thailand, and has borders with Chanthaburi Province to the northwest, Cambodia to the east, and the Gulf of Thailand to the south.Trat is most famous for gemstone mining and trading....
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. It is deposited at the Bangkok Herbarium (BK).
Nepenthes chang was formally described
Species description
A species description or type description is a formal description of a newly discovered species, usually in the form of a scientific paper. Its purpose is to give a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it differs from species which have been described previously, or are...
by Marcello Catalano
Marcello Catalano
Marcello Catalano is an Italian naturalist and author specializing in carnivorous plants. As a result of this interest, which began in 1985, Catalano founded the Italian Carnivorous Plant Society and its quarterly magazine, AIPC News , at the end of the 1990s.From 2000 to 2004, he...
in his 2010 book, Nepenthes della Thailandia. The description was reviewed by Alastair Robinson
Alastair Robinson
Dr. Alastair S. Robinson is a British-American taxonomist and field botanist specialising in the carnivorous plant genus Nepenthes...
, while Andreas Fleischmann provided the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
translation. Catalano 013394 was designated as the holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
. This specimen was collected by Catalano in 2009 from Ko Chang
Ko Chang
Ko Chang is the third largest island of Thailand , located on the Thai east coast 310 km away from Bangkok near the border to Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand. The name means Elephant Island. Ko Chang was named for the elephant shape of its headland, although elephants are not indigenous to...
island at an altitude of about 300 m. It is deposited at the Chulalongkorn University Herbarium
Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
(BCU).
Description
Nepenthes chang is a climbing plant growing to a height of approximately 5 m. The stemPlant stem
A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes, the nodes hold buds which grow into one or more leaves, inflorescence , conifer cones, roots, other stems etc. The internodes distance one node from another...
is terete and 4–6 mm in diameter. Internode
Plant stem
A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes, the nodes hold buds which grow into one or more leaves, inflorescence , conifer cones, roots, other stems etc. The internodes distance one node from another...
s are up to 5 cm long. The stem is typically orange to red in rosettes
Rosette (botany)
In botany, a rosette is a circular arrangement of leaves, with all the leaves at a single height.Though rosettes usually sit near the soil, their structure is an example of a modified stem.-Function:...
and light green in climbing plants.
Leaves are sessile and coriaceous in texture. The lamina (leaf blade) is lanceolate, measures up to 35 cm in length by 5 cm in width, and is around 0.2 mm thick. Its apex is acute and it is attenuate at the base, clasping the stem for around three-quarters of its circumference and being decurrent for up to 4 cm. Three longitudinal veins are present on either side of the midrib, restricted to the distal quarter of the lamina. Pinnate veins are also visible, and arise obliquely from the midrib. Tendril
Tendril
In botany, a tendril is a specialized stem, leaf or petiole with a threadlike shape that is used by climbing plants for support, attachment and cellular invasion by parasitic plants, generally by twining around suitable hosts. They do not have a lamina or blade, but they can photosynthesize...
s are up to 30 cm long and 2 mm in diameter. They are coiled in upper pitchers. The laminae of older leaves are typically dark green, whereas those of younger leaves range in colour from reddish in rosettes, through an orange hue on laminae of the lower stem, to yellowish on the upper stem. Like the stem, the midrib and tendrils are orange to red in rosettes and light green in climbing plants.
Rosette and lower pitchers are either wholly ovate or only ovate in the basal third of the pitcher cup and narrower above. They measure up to 12 cm in height by 5 cm in width and are broader than they are deep. The hip, when present, is positioned in the midsection of the trap. A pair of wings (≤6 mm wide) runs down the ventral surface of the pitcher cup, bearing narrow fringe elements. The pitcher mouth is orbicular to ovate and has an oblique insertion. The peristome
Peristome
The word peristome is derived from the Greek peri, meaning 'around' or 'about', and stoma, 'mouth'. It is a term used to describe various anatomical features that surround an opening to an organ or structure. The term is used in plants and invertebrate animals, such as in describing the shells of...
is cylindrical and up to 5 mm wide at the sides, with teeth up to 0.3 mm long. The pitcher lid or operculum
Operculum (botany)
An operculum, in botany, is a term generally used to describe a structure within a plant, moss, or fungus acting as a cap, flap, or lid. In plants, it may also be called a bud cap.Examples of structures identified as opercula include:...
is orbicular to ovate or elliptic. It is flat and has a slightly cordate base. It measures up to 4 cm in length by 3.5 cm in width. The lower surface of the lid does not have any appendages, but bears numerous crater-like glands (≤1 mm in diameter), the largest of which are located around the base of the midline. An unbranched spur (≤6 mm long) is inserted near the base of the lid. On their outer surface, terrestrial pitchers are typically green to orange or pink with red stripes. Red blotches may or may not be found in the waxy zone of the inner surface. The peristome ranges in colour from green to red.
The tubulose upper pitchers are considerably larger than their terrestrial counterparts, measuring up to 25 cm in height by 3 cm in width. The wings, if present, are up to 1 mm wide, otherwise they are reduced to a pair of ridges. The pitcher mouth has an oblique insertion. The peristome of upper pitchers often has a slightly lobed outer margin and is uniform in width. The lid as well as other parts of the pitcher are similar to those found in terrestrial traps. Aerial pitchers have a lighter pigmentation than their lower counterparts, being light green on the outer surface. Red blotches may or may not be present on the waxy inner surface. The peristome is green throughout, while the lid may be entirely green or bear fine red stripes.
Nepenthes chang has a racemose
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
. In male plants, it reaches 70 cm in length, of which the peduncle
Peduncle (botany)
In botany, a peduncle is a stem supporting an inflorescence, or after fecundation, an infructescence.The peduncle is a stem, usually green and without leaves, though sometimes colored or supporting small leaves...
constitutes 35–50 cm and the rachis
Rachis
Rachis is a biological term for a main axis or "shaft".-In zoology:In vertebrates a rachis can refer to the series of articulated vertebrae, which encase the spinal cord. In this case the rachis usually form the supporting axis of the body and is then called the spine or vertebral column...
17–22 cm. Around 30–130 flowers are borne on two-flowered partial peduncles measuring 1–3 mm in length, with pedicels
Pedicel (botany)
A pedicel is a stem that attaches single flowers to the main stem of the inflorescence. It is the branches or stalks that hold each flower in an inflorescence that contains more than one flower....
2–9 mm long. Some or all of the partial peduncles may bear a short bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
(≤0.5 mm long) in their basal half. The androphore is up to 1.5 mm long and bears hairs for up to half of its length. Tepal
Tepal
Tepals are elements of the perianth, or outer part of a flower, which include the petals or sepals. The term tepal is more often applied specifically when all segments of the perianth are of similar shape and color, or undifferentiated, which is called perigone...
s are elliptic and up to 3 mm long by 1.5 mm wide. The tepals are green when newly-opened, but later darken to orange or red. The female inflorescence differs markedly in structure from the male one, bearing flowers solitarily on ebracteate pedicels measuring 3–12 mm in length. It also differs in having a rachis that is 8–22 cm long and tepals that are always green.
An indumentum
Indumentum
The indumentum is a covering of fine hairs or bristles on a plant or insect.In plants, the indumentum types are:*pubescent*hirsute*pilose*villous*tomentose*stellate*scabrous*scurfy...
of white or golden hairs (0.1–0.5 mm long) is present on all parts of the plant apart from the upper surface of the lamina.
Like all pyrophytic
Pyrophyte
Pyrophytes are plants which have adapted to tolerate fire. "Pyrophyte" comes from the ancient Greek "pyros" and "phytos" .Fire acts favorably for some species. "Passive pyrophytes" resist the effects of fire, particularly when it passes over quickly, and hence can out-compete less resistant...
Nepenthes from Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
, N. chang has a well-developed rootstock.
Ecology
Nepenthes chang is known with certainty only from the Banthad Mountains of central ThailandThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, where it has been recorded from two localities: Khao Kuap and the island of Ko Chang
Ko Chang
Ko Chang is the third largest island of Thailand , located on the Thai east coast 310 km away from Bangkok near the border to Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand. The name means Elephant Island. Ko Chang was named for the elephant shape of its headland, although elephants are not indigenous to...
. The species grows terrestrially on peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
y soil in open, steep forest. It has an altitudinal distribution of 300–600 m above sea level. It is possible that its range extends into the nearby Cardamom Mountains
Cardamom Mountains
The Krâvanh Mountains, literally the "Cardamom Mountains" , is a mountain range in the south west of Cambodia, jutting into southeastern Thailand.-Location and description:...
of Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
.
Nepenthes chang has no known natural hybrids.
Related species
Nepenthes chang is thought to be most closely related to N. kampotianaNepenthes kampotiana
Nepenthes kampotiana is a tropical pitcher plant native to southern Cambodia, eastern Thailand, and western Vietnam. The specific epithet kampotiana refers to the Cambodian city of Kampot, close to which the first specimens of this species were collected.This species is closely related to...
. It can be distinguished from this species on the basis of the two-flowered partial peduncles of the male inflorescence, as opposed to the one-flowered pedicels of N. kampotiana. Nepenthes chang also differs in that its androphores are partially hairy, whereas those of N. kampotiana are glabrous. The laminae of N. kampotiana are considerably thicker (0.5 mm versus 0.2 mm) and always have a light green colouration, as compared to the yellowish to reddish young leaves of N. chang. Nepenthes kampotiana also lacks an indumentum
Indumentum
The indumentum is a covering of fine hairs or bristles on a plant or insect.In plants, the indumentum types are:*pubescent*hirsute*pilose*villous*tomentose*stellate*scabrous*scurfy...
, being glabrous throughout. The terrestrial traps of N. chang are typically wider than they are deep, while those of N. kampotiana are uniformly ovate. The two species also differ in the shape of their aerial pitchers: those of N. chang are tubulose throughout, whereas those of N. kampotiana are obovate or ovate in their basal half. In lower pitchers of N. chang, the peristome
Peristome
The word peristome is derived from the Greek peri, meaning 'around' or 'about', and stoma, 'mouth'. It is a term used to describe various anatomical features that surround an opening to an organ or structure. The term is used in plants and invertebrate animals, such as in describing the shells of...
is often wider at the sides, whereas that found in the traps of N. kampotiana tends to be uniform in width.
External links
- Photographs of N. chang at the Carnivorous Plant Photofinder
- Nepenthes of Indochina by Marcello CatalanoMarcello CatalanoMarcello Catalano is an Italian naturalist and author specializing in carnivorous plants. As a result of this interest, which began in 1985, Catalano founded the Italian Carnivorous Plant Society and its quarterly magazine, AIPC News , at the end of the 1990s.From 2000 to 2004, he...