Nepenthes Biak

Nepenthes biak is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to the Indonesian island of Biak, after which it is named. Biak is a member of the Schouten Islands, located in Cenderawasih Bay, and is administered as part of Biak Numfor Regency, Papua Province. Nepenthes biak grows near sea level, usually on limestone coastal cliffs though occasionally as an epiphyte on mangrove trees.

Taxonomy

Prior to its formal description, N. biak was lumped with the closely related N. insignis, which is now considered to be restricted to the New Guinea mainland.

Nepenthes biak is a member of section Insignes, which also includes 13 other species, mostly from the Philippines: N. aenigma, N. alzapan, N. barcelonae, N. bellii, N. burkei, N. insignis, N. merrilliana, N. northiana (a questionable outlier from Borneo), N. samar, N. sibuyanensis, N. surigaoensis, N. ventricosa, and N. sp. Raja Ampat. Its closest relatives are thought to be N. insignis and the undescribed N. sp. Raja Ampat from the Raja Ampat Islands.