Nepenthes cornuta is a tropical pitcher plant native to the Philippines. It is known only from the Pantaron Mountain Range of central Mindanao, where it grows terrestrially on ultramafic soils at around 1000 m above sea level.[1]

Nepenthes cornuta
A lower pitcher at the type locality
An upper pitcher colonised by ants of the genus Crematogaster
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Nepenthaceae
Genus: Nepenthes
Species:
N. cornuta
Binomial name
Nepenthes cornuta

This species is most closely allied to N. ceciliae and N. copelandii, both also from Mindanao. All three belong to the much larger "N. alata group",[1] which also includes N. alata, N. extincta, N. graciliflora, N. hamiguitanensis, N. kitanglad, N. kurata, N. leyte, N. mindanaoensis, N. negros, N. ramos, N. saranganiensis, and N. ultra.[2][3][4][5] These species are united by a number of morphological characters, including winged petioles, lids with basal ridges on the lower surface (often elaborated into appendages), and upper pitchers that are usually broadest near the base.[2][3]

The specific epithet cornuta is Latin for "horned" and refers to the shape of the upper pitchers.[1]

The discovery and recognition of this taxon as a new species was announced online in September 2012, under the placeholder name "Nepenthes species 1".[6]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Gronemeyer, T., F. Coritico, A. Wistuba, D. Marwinski, T. Gieray, M. Micheler, F.S. Mey & V. Amoroso 2014. Four new species of Nepenthes L. (Nepenthaceae) from the central mountains of Mindanao, Philippines. Plants 3(2): 284–303. doi:10.3390/plants3020284
  2. ^ a b Cheek, M. & M. Jebb 2013. Recircumscription of the Nepenthes alata group (Caryophyllales: Nepenthaceae), in the Philippines, with four new species. European Journal of Taxonomy 69: 1–23. doi:10.5852/ejt.2013.69
  3. ^ a b Cheek, M. & M. Jebb 2013. Typification and redelimitation of Nepenthes alata with notes on the N. alata group, and N. negros sp. nov. from the Philippines. Nordic Journal of Botany 31(5): 616–622. doi:10.1111/j.1756-1051.2012.00099.x
  4. ^ Cheek, M. & M. Jebb 2013. Nepenthes ramos (Nepenthaceae), a new species from Mindanao, Philippines. Willdenowia 43(1): 107–111. doi:10.3372/wi.43.43112
  5. ^ Cheek, M. & M. Jebb 2013. Nepenthes ultra (Nepenthaceae), a new species from Luzon, Philippines. Blumea, published online on October 24, 2013. doi:10.3767/000651913X675124
  6. ^ (in German) Wistuba, A. 2012. Nepenthes-Neuigkeiten von Mindanao (Philippinen). G.F.P. Forum, September 2, 2012.