Shawn Mayes · CC BY-SA 3.0
About
A notable tropical pitcher plant, *Nepenthes spectabilis*, is characterized by its climbing habit and the striking contrast between its light green, speckled pitchers and the dark brown speckling. It is endemic to Sumatra and is known for its considerable morphological variation across different populations.
Field notes
Morphology
The plant is a climbing species with stems reaching up to 6 m and up to 7 mm in diameter. Leaves are coriaceous and sessile, with oblong laminae up to 16 cm long by 6 cm wide. Lower pitchers are narrowly ovoid to cylindrical, growing up to 12 cm in height and 4 cm in width, featuring a waxy zone and a round, flat mouth. Upper pitchers are much larger, reaching 26 cm in height and 4.5 cm in width, and have a steeply oblique mouth. The peristome is cylindrical, and the operculum has a strongly cordate base and a very long, unbranched spur (up to 30 mm).
Distribution & habitat
Endemic to Sumatra, with a natural range stretching from the Lake Toba region to Mount Kemiri. It grows at elevations between 1,400 and 2,200 m above sea level, typically in mossy forest and stunted upper montane forest.
Ecology
The plant traps prey using both lower and upper pitchers. Observations indicate that the majority of prey consists of beetles, and the pitchers also contain infaunal mosquito larvae. It is found growing terrestrially and may also be epiphytic, often in Sphagnum moss.
History & etymology
The first known collection was made by Julius August Lörzing in 1920. B. H. Danser formally described *Nepenthes spectabilis* in his 1928 monograph, designating Lörzing 7308 as the type specimen. The specific epithet spectabilis is Latin for "visible" or "notable".
Conservation
The species is listed as Vulnerable on the 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to its patchy distribution.
Habitat
- Altitude
- 1,400–2,200 m
- Altitude Class
- highland
- Native To
- Indonesia
- IUCN Status
- Vulnerable
Taxonomy
- Described
- 1928
- Authority
- Danser
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Temperature
- Day 18–25°C / Night 10–18°C
- Humidity
- 75–90%
In My Collection 6 plants
Borneo Exotics 13 listings
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BE-3177
N. spectabilis - Sibuyatan - assorted clones
BE-3322
N. spectabilis – Gng. Perkinson
BE-3314
N. spathulata x spectabilis – assorted clones
BE-4648
N. spectabilis x klossii – assorted clones
BE-3760
N. spectabilis x platychila – best selected clone
BE-3664
WIP N. spectabilis x veitchii - assorted clones
BE-4063
N. talangensis x spectabilis
BE-4555
N. (aristolochioides x spectabilis) x lowii – assorted clones
BE-4523
N. spectabilis x ‘Viking’ - assorted clones
BE-3991
N. spectabilis x bongso - best selected clone
BE-3400
N. (veitchii x lowii) x spectabilis – assorted clones
BE-4583
N. (aristolochioides x spectabilis) x klossii – assorted clones
BE-4574
N. (aristolochioides x spectabilis) x hamata ‘Lumut’
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