N. boschiana

[unclemasa]

N. boschiana Korthals (1839)
Borneo; Moss Forest, Highland (950 m)
Description: DANSER 275


Stems: climbing; irregularly angular as a result of the decurrent leaves, to 1 cm thick.
Leaves: petiolate with 3- 5 mm broad wings, decurrent, clasping stem with sheath; lamina lanceolate to oblong- lanceolate; 17 cm x 5 cm to 25 cm x 8 cm; apex acute; base attenuate; veins: 2- 4, located in the outer 1/3 of lamina, pennate nerves indistinct.
Lower Pitchers: middle- sized, globose to ovate in the lower part, cylindrical towards the mouth; 2 fimbriate wings present; mouth round, sub- accuminate; peristome flattened, ribbed; lid orbicular, apex rounded, base subcordate, glandular; spur simple or branched.
Upper Pitchers: large, gradually originating from the tendril, ovate in the lower part, cylindrical or slightly infundibulatetowards the mouth; 20 cm x 3.5 cm to 25 cm x 5.5 cm; mouth ovate, oblique & elevated towards the lid; peristome flattened or expanded, to .4- 2 cm wide; lid suborbicular, apex rounded, base subcordate, lid with a laterally flattened appendage towards the mid rib, glandular over whole surface.
Inflorescence: a long raceme, to 80 cm; pedicels 1- 2 flowered, 1 cm long.
Indumentum: sparse, stellate- tomentose, brownish when young, rather spreading, later whitish and appressed, diminishing.
Color: leaves light green, the inner surface of pitcher dull purple above, shining brown below, the outer surface with purple spots
Distinguishing Features:

[unclemasa]

Nepenthes Boschiana KORTH, Verh., p. 25, t. 2 & t. 4, ic 39-54 (1839) ; Flora, VI, p. 578 (1848) ; BL., Mus., II, p. 8 (1852) ; MIQ., Fl., I, 1, p. 1074 (1858) excl. var. sumatrana ; HOOK. F., Transact. Linn. Soc., XXII, p. 422 (1859) pro parte ; MIQ., Journ. Bot. Neérl., I, p. 277 (1861) pro parte ; LEMAIRE, Ill. Hort., XVI, misc., p. 43 (1869) ; MIQ., Ill., p. 7 (1870) excl. var. sumatrana ; HOOK. F., in D. C., Prodr., XVII, p. 98 (1873) pro parte et excl. var. sumatrana & Lowii ; BECK, Wien. Ill. Gartenz., 1895, p. 184 (1895) pro parte ; BOERL., Handl., III, 1, p. 54 (1900) excl. var.; MACF., in ENGL., Pflanzenr., IV, 111, p. 71 (1908) pro parte ; HEYNE, Nutt. pl., ed. 1, II, p. 189 (1916) ; MERR., Bibl. enum. Born., p. 281 (1921) pro parte ; HEYNE, Nutt. pl., ed. 2, I, p. 686 (1927) ; non MIQ., Fl., suppl., p. 161 (1860) quae N. Treubiana, nec BECC., Mal., I, p. 214 (1878) quae N. maxima, nec MACF., Journ. Linn. Soc, bot., XLII, p. 126 (1914).

Icon: KORTH., Verh., t. 2 & t. 4, ic. 39-54 (1839) optimae.

Folia mediocria petiolata, lamina lanceolata v. oblongo-lanceolata, nervis longitudinalibus utrinque 2-4, vagina caulis c. 2/3 amplectente in alas 2 decurrente ; ascidia rosularum parte inferiore anguste ovata, os versus cylindrica, alis 2 fimbriatis ; peristomio operculum versus acuto, cylindrico, operculo orbiculari subcordato, facie inferiore prope basin appendice lateraliter applanata ; ascidia inferiora ignota ; ascidia superiora magna, tubulosa v. paulum infundibuliforma, 1/3 parte inferiora plerumque ventricosa, costis 2 prominentibus ; peristomio operculum versus acuminato, applanato v. expanso, 4-13 mm lato, costis 2/3-1 mm distantibus, dentibus fere 0 ; operculo suborbiculari subcordato, facie inferiore prope basin appendice lateraliter applanata, inflorescentia racemus longus pedicellis inferioribus 15 mm longis, 2-floris, superioribus brevioribus, 1-floris ; indumentum in inflorescentia tomentum tenue, ceterum fere 0.

Stems climbing, about 10 mm thick, irregularly angular and winged as an effect of the decurrent leaves. (Rosette leaves scattered, short-petioled, the lamina ovate, about 17 1/2 cm long, 7 1/2 cm broad, acuminate ; longitudinal nerves 1 or 2 on each side, running parallel near the margin ; tendril curved downwards, without curl, about as long as the lamina.) Leaves of the climbing stems scattered, thin-coriaceous, petiolate, the lamina lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, about 20 to 25 cm long, 5 to 8 cm broad, acute, rather gradually attenuate at the base, the petiole with 3 to 5 mm broad wings, half as long as the lamina, clasping the stem for about 2/3 with a laterally flattened sheath and decurrent to the following leaf into 2 wings 2 to 3 mm broad ; pennate nerves indistinct, forming a network of branches generally directed towards the margin ; longitudinal nerves 2 to 4 on each side, indistinctly originating from the basal part of the network mentioned, becoming distinct and running parallel in the outer 1/3 part of the leaf blade, ending in the midrib near the apex ; tendril about l 1/2 x as long as the lamina, always with curl. (Pitchers of the rosettes middle-sized, globose to ovate in the inferior part, cylindrical towards the mouth, with 2 fringed wings over the whole length, the mouth nearly round, sub-acuminate, the peristome ribbed ; lid almost orbicular, subcordate at the base, with many round and oval glands on the underside, interior surface of the pitcher with many minute glands in the lower part ; spur simple or branched.) Pitchers of the climbing stems large, 20 to 25 cm high, gradually originating from the hanging end of the tendril, with a 10 to 20 mm wide curve, ovate and 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 cm wide in the lower part, cylindrical or slightly infundibulate and about 4 1/2 cm wide towards the mouth (sometimes slightly infundibuliform from the base to the top) ; mouth ovate, oblique, acuminate and elevated towards the lid ; peristome flattened or expanded, 4 to 6 mm broad on the wing side, 10 to 20 mm towards the lid, the ribs about 2/3 to 1/2 mm apart ; interior surface with minute glands in the lower part, about 800-1200 on 1 cm2 ; lid suborbicular, subcordate at the base, with a laterally flattened appendage on the midrib near the base, with rimmed glands over the whole surface, which are larger and more dispersed near the appendage. (Male inflorescence a long raceme, the pedicels mostly 2-flowered, the uppermost ones 1-flowered. Tepals oval. Female inflorescence a raceme, the peduncle up to 50 cm long or still longer, about 10 mm thick below, 6 mm above, the axis up to 30 cm long or more, attenuate and about 2 mm thick at the top, the inferior pedicels 2-flowered, the upper ones 1-flowered, up to 10 mm long ; tepals oblong, about 4 mm long. Fruit 13 to 23 mm long, the valves lanceolate, 2 to 2 1/2 mm broad in the middle, slightly attenuate towards both ends. (Seeds filiform, about 12 mm long.) Indumentum sparse, stellate-tomentose, brownish when young, rather spreading, later whitish and adpressed, remaining almost only on the inflorescence. Colour (in the living state: the leaves light-green, the inner surface of the pitcher dull-purple above, shining-brown below, the outer surface with purple spots;) herbarium specimens entirely fallow-dun or greyish. (Description after the specimens of KORTHALS, the parts between brackets after his description and plate.)

Borneo. Res. Southern & Eastern Division: G. Sakoembang, summit, 950 m, KORTHALS, H. L. B. 906,60-4 ; 908,155-875 & -878 ; type specimens of N. Boschiana KORTH., vern. name: daoen sompitan.

The above mentioned specimens from the Leiden Herbarium show that N. Boschiana is a species distinct from all others. All further specimens, considered as belonging to this species, really are other, sometimes even not nearly related ones. The var. sumatrana is a quite different plant, related to N. Treubiana. The plant of LOW from G. Mooloo, already distinguished as var. Lowii by HOOKER in 1873 and without variety name united with N. Boschiana by MACFARLANE, seems to me to be N. stenophylla, though I have not seen the type specimen and the description of HOOKER is too brief for identification. The specimens recorded by MACFARLANE from Lawas River I have not seen, but the number HAVILAND and HOSE 3304 is a typical N. stenophylla.

KORTHALS states the natives who accompanied him on Mt. Sakoembang gathered the not yet opened pitchers, as the water which they contained as a medicament against inflammation of the eyes, whereas others cut the opened pitchers as playthings for their children. He describes the habitat as sterile, open and stony. The vernacular name, daoen sompitan, is translated by him as blow-pipe-leaf ; according to dictionaries this is right.