Die Gattung Nepenthes

The first pages of each of the four parts of "Die Gattung Nepenthes" from the March, April, May and June issues of Wiener Illustrirte Garten-Zeitung

The three illustrations published in Beck's monograph, showing various pitchers drawn from cultivated plants

"Die Gattung Nepenthes" is a German-language monograph by Günther Beck von Mannagetta und Lerchenau on the tropical pitcher plants of the genus Nepenthes.^[1] It was published in 1895 in four parts, spread over the March, April, May and June issues of Wiener Illustrirte Garten-Zeitung.^[1]

Beck recognised and enumerated 67 major taxa, including many hybrids. He described 4 new species: N. fallax (later synonymised with N. stenophylla, although this is disputed),^[2] N. hispida, N. smithii (later synonymised with N. distillatoria),^[2] and N. spuria (later synonymised with N. northiana).^[2] In addition, he raised N. sumatrana—previously considered a variety of N. boschiana and later N. maxima—to species rank.^[3]

Beck also introduced a number of new varieties. These included the species varieties N. albomarginata var. tomentella, N. albomarginata var. typica, N. gracilis var. longinodis, N. gracilis var. teysmanniana, N. rafflesiana var. ambigua, N. rafflesiana var. excelsior (later synonym of N. × hookeriana), and N. rafflesiana var. typica.^[4] Beck also published the hybrid variety N. gracilis × N. khasiana).^[4]

A number of taxon names that Beck did not recognise as valid nonetheless appeared in print for the first time in his monograph. These included the species synonyms N. edgeworthii (synonym of N. edwardsiana) and N. speciosa (synonym of N. distillatoria), as well as the hybrid synonyms N. anerleyense and N. arnoldiense (both synonyms of N. × stewartii).^[4] While the name N. hookerae had first appeared in the literature 4 years prior to Beck's monograph, his concept of this hybrid involved a more complex cross ((N. ampullaria × N. rafflesiana) × N. mirabilis); it is considered a later synonym of N. × stewartii.^[4]

Beck was the first to unite N. edwardsiana with N. villosa.^[5] This synonymy stood until John Muirhead Macfarlane's 1908 monograph, "Nepenthaceae"; the species are considered distinct today.^[2]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} (German) Beck, G. 1895. Die Gattung Nepenthes. Wiener Illustrirte Garten-Zeitung 20(3–6): 96–107, 141–150, 182–192, 217–229.
2. ^ ^{a b c d} McPherson, S.R. 2009. Pitcher Plants of the Old World. 2 volumes. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole.
3. ^ Clarke, C.M. 2001. Nepenthes of Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia. Natural History Publications (Borneo), Kota Kinabalu.
4. ^ ^{a b c d} Schlauer, J. N.d. Query results: Wien.Ill.Gart.Z.. Carnivorous Plant Database.
5. ^ Danser, B.H. 1928. The Nepenthaceae of the Netherlands Indies. Bulletin du Jardin Botanique de Buitenzorg, Série III, 9(3–4): 249–438.

External links

• Digitized version at the Biodiversity Heritage Library (part 2, part 3, part 4)