Nepenthes Sumatrana

Nepenthes sumatrana is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to the Indonesian island of Sumatra, after which it is named.

Discovery and Taxonomy

Nepenthes sumatrana was first collected by Johannes Elias Teijsmann in February 1856, near the port town of Sibolga.[note a] Teijsmann wrote the following account of his discovery:

Among the plants collected to-day and the day before yesterday [February 3rd and 1st], there were 4 species of Nepenthes (katoepat baroek, tjalong baroek, or taau-taau),[note b] growing here on the very coast between the scrub in a thin layer of humus, under which pure sea sand, or against steep rocks and the coast, when there was only some earth or moss for the germination. Some species are very common and luxuriant here and abound in flowers and fruits. The plants are all transported to Buitenzorg in living state, but from the seeds only those of one species I have succeeded in bringing to germinate, this growing very slowly but being very interesting, as the young plants, only few lines large, already bear minute pitchers.