Nepenthes Pitcher Plant in Sarawak
A rajah among pitcher plants
By Joshua Hendry
Thursday July 21, 2011
Borneo is home to some curious-looking plants such as the foul-smelling Rafflesia and several species of pitcher plants.
Not only does the world's third largest island boasts the biggest flower in the world (the Rafflesia), Borneo is also home to the magnificent Nepenthes rajah, a species of pitcher plant which produces beautiful large pitchers.
Unless you have a keen interest in odd-looking plants, perhaps you may not be familiar with the carnivorous pitcher plants of Borneo.
Whopper: Herman with the giant 'Nepenthes rajah' pitcher
which has a volume of about 1.75 litres
of water and measures 41 cm long.
There are over 100 known species of pitcher plants of the family Nepenthaceae found in the world. About 30 species are found in Borneo of which some are endemic to the island and found nowhere else in the world.
Nepenthes rajah is one such species and found only in Sabah, its giant pitchers are a subject of fascination. Together with Nepenthes attenboroughii from the Philippines, Nepenthes rajah produces some of the largest pitchers found in the genus. Pitchers exceeding 30cm tall and holding well over one litre in volume are commonly found on large, healthy plants.
Recently, a group of nine consisting members of the Sabah Society conducted a field exploration up on the slopes of the Mesilau Mountain Garden at Kinabalu National Park, Sabah.
The group included renowned botanists Anthony Lamb and Anthea Phillipps, a husband-and-wife team who authored the book Pitcher Plants of Borneo (2008) with Ch'ien Lee as co-author.
It was a very fruitful morning as the group came upon many healthy Nepenthes rajah pitcher plants. Some of the plants produced huge pitchers that measured between 35cm and 40cm long.
Cool water: A beautiful mountain creek.
The longest pitcher found that day was stumbled upon after some searching among the bushes.
Nearly hidden from sight was a giant pitcher measuring a whopping 41cm long. The longest Nepenthes rajah pitcher ever recorded in published literature is 35cm.
This means the newly discovered 41cm giant is the new record holder for tallest pitcher ever measured for this particular species. Measurement is taken from the base of the pitcher right to the base of the lid at the top of the pitcher.
Although the pitcher was already dead, it was still an important discovery and preservation of the pitcher was warranted.
The pitcher was collected for further study after obtaining permission from park representative Herman Kunsian, who was with the group the entire time. Down at the Mesilau Nature Centre, the pitcher was found to hold about 1.75 litres of water.
According to Phillipps: “What we collected was the tallest or longest Nepenthes rajah pitcher so far recorded (in published literature), not the largest in terms of volume. The most established record for volume is two litres, but there is an unverified report of 3.5 litres. It could exist, but would be absolutely huge.”
It was not just the discovery of the giant pitcher that caused a flurry of camera clicks and loud excited chatter that morning, many rare slipper orchids were also found to be blooming.
Beautiful: Yellow Rhododendron is grown just outside
the Mesilau Nature Centre. Kinabalu Park is home to many
Rhododendron species, some found nowhere else in the world.
In just one small area, about 10 flowering Paphiopedilum hookerae (slipper orchids) were discovered and photographed. This exotic species with its green mottled leaves is well camouflaged among the thick undergrowth.
Both Nepenthes rajah and Paphiopedilum hookerae are endangered species rapidly disappearing from the wild due to habitat loss and illegal collection.
Unfortunately, a landslide recently occurred in the mountain garden, burying and killing many plants that grew on the slope.
While natural disasters such as landslides are often unpredictable and difficult to prevent, human actions on the other hand can be controlled.
As such, everyone should reduce activities that contribute to the decline of our environment and assume more active roles in preserving our surroundings. This is to ensure that all may enjoy the beauty of nature preserved in perpetuity.
The Sabah Society is a non-profit organisation founded in 1960 with the main aim of promoting conservation of Sabah's natural heritage. For further information, visit thesabahsociety.com. -- The Star News
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