Alfindra Primaldhi · CC BY 2.0
About
Nepenthes tenuis is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sumatra, Indonesia. It is characterized as one of the smallest-pitchered species in the genus. The plant is a climbing species found in mossy and light sub-montane forests.
Field notes
Morphology
This climbing plant has a slender, angular to rhomboid stem and sessile, coriaceous leaves that are lanceolate, measuring 5–6 cm long and 1-1.5 cm wide. The tendrils can reach up to 12 cm in length. The pitchers are widely infundibuliform, typically 2.5–4.5 cm high and 1.5–2.5 cm wide, and lack wings or fringe elements. They bear two prominent ribs down the front, and the pitchers are yellow-green, often marked with red-brown blotches.
Distribution & habitat
The species is endemic to a specific region of the Tjampo river east of Taram in West Sumatra, Indonesia. It thrives in mossy and light sub-montane forest environments. Its known population is restricted to an elevation range of 1,000–1,200 m above sea level.
Ecology
As a carnivorous plant, *Nepenthes tenuis* traps prey using its pitcher structures. The inner surface of the pitchers is covered with glandular regions, and the peristome may bear ribs. The text does not detail specific prey capture mechanisms or mutualisms, only describing the physical structures involved in trapping.
History & etymology
*Nepenthes tenuis* was first collected by Willem Meijer in 1957 near Taram, West Sumatra. It was formally described as a species in 1994 by Joachim Nerz and Andreas Wistuba. The species was finally rediscovered in the wild in late 2002.
Conservation
The species is listed as Endangered on the 2014 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Its habitat is threatened by deliberate fires started for agricultural clearance.
Habitat
- Altitude
- 1,000–1,200 m
- Altitude Class
- intermediate
- Native To
- Sumatra, Indonesia
- IUCN Status
- Endangered
Taxonomy
- Described
- 1994
- Authority
- Nerz & Wistuba
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Temperature
- Day 22–30°C / Night 15–22°C
- Humidity
- 70–95%
In My Collection 1 plant
Borneo Exotics 10 listings
View all →
BE-3981
N. spathulata x tenuis - assorted clones
BE-4070
N. mira x tenuis – assorted clones
BE-4709
Nepenthes hamata x tenuis – assorted clones
BE-3971
N. eustachya x tenuis - assorted clones
BE-3988
N. singalana x tenuis – assorted clones
BE-4069
N. gymnamphora x tenuis - seed grown
BE-3891
N. glandulifera x tenuis – assorted clones
BE-3985
N. (hamata x glabrata) x tenuis – assorted clones
BE-3982
N. robcantleyi x tenuis – assorted clones
BE-4083
N. rajah x tenuis – assorted clones
Crossed N. Tenuis with another species?
Register the cross — if it's not yet documented you'll be the first contributor. If someone already registered it, you'll be redirected to add your photo.