Palawan Pitcher Plant

I-Taxonomy

Usapho:	Nepenthaceae
I-Genus:	Nepenthes
Umyalelo:	Caryophyllales

Isishwankathelo

Nepenthes philippinensis is a lowland tropical pitcher plant endemic to the Philippines, where it grows on Palawan and the neighbouring Calamian Islands from sea level to about 600 m. It is common in scrub over ultramafic soils in southern Palawan.

Nepenthes philippinensis has been described by Barry Rice as another N. alata-like plant, this one from Palawan. Despite that resemblance, Matthew Jebb and Martin Cheek suggest it is more closely related to the Bornean species N. hirsuta, N. hispida and N. macrovulgaris than to N. alata.

The species is remarkable for its flowering: it produces more inflorescences at once than any other Nepenthes, with up to 190 recorded on a single plant. Like all Nepenthes, plants are either male or female.

No natural hybrids are known, and no forms or varieties have been formally described, although many plants resembling N. philippinensis grow on the isolated peaks of Palawan.

Ulwazi lweJografi

Ingingqi yoMthonyama: Philippines (endemic): Palawan, Culion, Busuanga, Coron, Linapacan and nearby islands

Imimandla yeMozulu: Tropical lowland; cultivated under glass outside the tropics

Known from Palawan and the neighbouring Calamian Islands (including Busuanga, Coron and Culion) and Linapacan, at 0-600 m (0-2,000 ft) above sea level. Co's Digital Flora of the Philippines describes it as common on scrub over ultramafic soils throughout the southern half of Palawan, and gives its elevation as 0-600 m, occasionally up to 1,600 m.

Iimpawu zoMzimba

Ubungakanani obuqolileyo: No reliable maximum pitcher size is given in the sources cited

Izinga lokuKhula: Moderate

Uhlobo lomgibe: Pitfall Trap

Like other Nepenthes, each pitcher is a modified leaf tip that holds digestive fluid. Prey is drawn in by color, nectar and scent. The peristome around the mouth is slippery, especially when wet, so insects lose their footing and fall in, and a waxy coating on the upper inner wall makes escape nearly impossible. Glands in the lower part of the pitcher absorb the nutrients released from the prey. The lid helps keep rain from diluting the fluid.

Isikhokelo sokuKhathalela

Iimfuno zokukhanya

Bright, diffuse light. A bright greenhouse or a well-lit growing area works; artificial light can be enough if it is bright.

Bright light year round; no seasonal rest yonke imihla

IiMfuno zaManzi

Uhlobo: Purified water (distilled, reverse osmosis or rain) is safest

Indlela: Water from above to keep the mix evenly moist and let it drain. Do not keep the pot standing in water, which dwarfs the roots.

Ukuphindaphinda: Often enough that the mix stays moist

Ukufuma: High: at least 60%, ideally near 90%

Umhlaba

A 50:50 mix of long-fiber sphagnum moss and perlite is a good starting point; pure sphagnum or sphagnum with other aggregates also works. Inspect the roots after a year.

pH: Acidic (sphagnum based)

Ubushushu

Ihlobo: Days 86-93°F (30-34°C), nights 14°F (8°C) cooler

Ubusika: Same as summer; keep warm all year

Ukutya

Ukuphindaphinda: Optional; any fertilizer at most once or twice a month into pitchers

If you fertilize at all, try a small amount of orchid or epiphyte fertilizer in the pitchers once or twice a month and watch the effect.

Ukusasaza

Iindlela: Stem cuttings of about two leaves each, leaves trimmed to a third, kept in very high humidity; roots usually form in about a month. Seed needs a male and a female plant flowering at the same time; sow it immediately.

Ubunzima: Moderate

Iingcebiso zabaQalayo

Give steady warmth, high humidity and bright light, and water from the top. This is a lowland plant, so avoid cold nights.

Ukulungisa ingxaki

No new pitchers and burnt leaf edges: humidity too low. Poor root system: the pot has been left standing in water, or the mix does not suit your conditions.

Iingcebiso zokuKhula

Taking cuttings Advanced

Cut a green stem into pieces with about two leaves each, trim the leaves to a third and keep the cuttings in a bag at near 100% humidity. Roots usually appear within a month or so.

Do not let it stand in water Troubleshooting

Water from above and let the pot drain. Nepenthes left in a tray of water develop stunted roots.

A warm-growing lowlander General

N. philippinensis grows from sea level to about 600 m. Keep days around 30-34°C and nights only about 8°C cooler.

Inyaniso enika umdla

Up to 190 inflorescences have been recorded at once on a single plant, the most of any Nepenthes.
N. wilkiei, described in 1998, turned out to be the same species.
It has no known natural hybrids.
The IUCN Red List classes it as Least Concern (Clarke and Lee, 2014, assessment T49000838A49009847); the Philippine national list (DAO) classes it as Endangered.

Imbali

John Muirhead Macfarlane described Nepenthes philippinensis in 1908 in his monograph on the Nepenthaceae for Engler's Das Pflanzenreich. Elmer Drew Merrill's N. brachycarpa (1915) is a synonym. In 1998 Matthew Jebb and Martin Cheek described N. wilkiei, which was later found to be the same species. B. H. Danser had included the species in a broad concept of N. alata in 1928.

IiNkqubo

Imibuzo ebuza rhoqo

Bright, diffuse light. A bright greenhouse or a well-lit growing area works; artificial light can be enough if it is bright. Injongo malunga ne-Bright light year round; no seasonal rest yokukhanya ngosuku.

Purified water (distilled, reverse osmosis or rain) is safest. Water from above to keep the mix evenly moist and let it drain. Do not keep the pot standing in water, which dwarfs the roots.

A 50:50 mix of long-fiber sphagnum moss and perlite is a good starting point; pure sphagnum or sphagnum with other aggregates also works. Inspect the roots after a year. I-pH yomhlaba: Acidic (sphagnum based).

Ayifuni ukuphumla. Ubushushu bebusika: Same as summer; keep warm all year.

If you fertilize at all, try a small amount of orchid or epiphyte fertilizer in the pitchers once or twice a month and watch the effect. How often: Optional; any fertilizer at most once or twice a month into pitchers.

Philippines (endemic): Palawan, Culion, Busuanga, Coron, Linapacan and nearby islands. Known from Palawan and the neighbouring Calamian Islands (including Busuanga, Coron and Culion) and Linapacan, at 0-600 m (0-2,000 ft) above sea level.

I-IUCN Red List ichaza ukuba i-Least Concern.

Stem cuttings of about two leaves each, leaves trimmed to a third, kept in very high humidity; roots usually form in about a month. Seed needs a male and a female plant flowering at the same time; sow it immediately.

No new pitchers and burnt leaf edges: humidity too low. Poor root system: the pot has been left standing in water, or the mix does not suit your conditions.

Carnivoras ithengisa i Palawan Pitcher Plant eMexico. Bona izityalo ezifumanekayo kule phepha.

Iyafumaneka ukuze ithengwe

Nepenthes philippinensis

$700MXN

≈ US$37.95

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Hlala uhlaziyiwe Palawan Pitcher Plant

Bhalisa ukufumana iingcebiso zokhathalelo, izikhokelo ezikhulayo, kunye nohlaziyo olukhethekileyo Palawan Pitcher Plant kunye nezinye izityalo ezitya inyama.

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