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Post by rsivertsen on Jun 2, 2008 10:40:19 GMT -10
For some reason, this subject seems to be neglected in most of the journals, so I thought I would start a thread here, all about Nepenthes, that DO NOT produce prehensile tendrils. These are:
In Borneo: N. villosa, N. veitchii (both highland and lowland), N. clippeata,
In the Philippines: N. truncata, N. merilliana
Perhaps there are others, such as N. argentii.
John Turnbull mentioned to me that he observed a population of N. merilliana that did produce prehensile tendrils and suspected that it may be a hybrid population.
The term "prehensile" refers to the ability to completely wrap around something in a 360 degree loop; (monkeys have prehensile tails)
Food for thought. - Rich
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Post by twoton on Jun 2, 2008 20:26:12 GMT -10
Great topic! I've never thought of this differentiation, but now that you mention it...
SOME monkeys, not all!
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Post by unclemasa on Jun 8, 2008 22:39:11 GMT -10
Like many Nepenthes the N. merrilliana rosette does not form loops. The leaves on the vine do and, given opportunity, they will wrap around an object like most other Nepenthes.
The N. veitchii that climbs trees does not form loops at the ends of the tendrils but does seem to 'grasp' with it's tendrils as it climbs.
The N. mirabilis, winged form, forms loops but I have never seen them 'grasp' anything. (?)
N. ampullaria forms loops on uppers.
Plants with large, thick tendrils do not grasp and wrap around things as quickly or as readily as those with thin tendrils. They must rest against a firm object for a longer period of time before they complete the grab. N. truncata tendrils will sometimes conform to obstructions and I wonder if a tendril might not wrap itself around something under the right circumstances ( .... a future experiment). It might be that they can .... but don't.
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Post by rsivertsen on Jun 9, 2008 3:19:23 GMT -10
Like many Nepenthes the N. merrilliana rosette does not form loops. The leaves on the vine do and, given opportunity, they will wrap around an object like most other Nepenthes. The N. veitchii that climbs trees does not form loops at the ends of the tendrils but does seem to 'grasp' with it's tendrils as it climbs. The N. mirabilis, winged form, forms loops but I have never seen them 'grasp' anything. (?) N. ampullaria forms loops on uppers. Plants with large, thick tendrils do not grasp and wrap around things as quickly or as readily as those with thin tendrils. They must rest against a firm object for a longer period of time before they complete the grab. N. truncata tendrils will sometimes conform to obstructions and I wonder if a tendril might not wrap itself around something under the right circumstances ( .... a future experiment). It might be that they can .... but don't. According to John Turnbull, there are a few populations of N. merrilliana that does form prehensile tendrils (on the upper growth, during flowering), but he found a few populations in full flower with no prehensile tendrils on any of them, and suspected that those other populations had some gene pool contamination. N. ampullaria is a well know forest climber, prehensile tendrils and all. (I never had this species on this list) N. veitchii manages to embrace their host by their 180 degree leaf rotation (the ONLY species with that leaf rotation) in its mature state of growth, (both highland and lowland forms), which enables the pitchers to interlock sometimes. I doubt that any species such as N. truncata, N. villosa, N. clippeata, etc. can be coaxed into producing a prehensile tendril, wrapping itself around an object with a full 360 degree loop for support. - Rich |
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Post by rainforest on Jun 9, 2008 10:57:09 GMT -10
N. pervillei, campanulata,
mindanaoensis ?,
Need to go see what else.
M
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