- Nepenthes rowanae
-
Nepenthes rowanae 
A juvenile N. rowanae plant Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Core eudicots Order: Caryophyllales Family: Nepenthaceae Genus: Nepenthes Species: N. rowanae Binomial name Nepenthes rowanae
F.M.Bailey (1897)Synonyms - Nepenthes mirabilis
auct. non (Lour.) Druce: Danser (1928) [=N. mirabilis/N. rowanae]
Nepenthes rowanae (pronounced /nɨˈpɛnθiːz ˈroʊ.əniː/, after Ellis Rowan, Australian naturalist and illustrator) is a species of pitcher plant endemic to Cape York, Australia. It is closely related to N. mirabilis and was once considered an extreme form of this species.
Contents
Taxonomy
Bailey's original illustration of an N. rowanae pitcher, published in 1897
Between 1881 and 1905, Frederick Manson Bailey described 11 species of Nepenthes from northern Australia,[1] all of which were placed in synonymy with N. mirabilis by B. H. Danser in 1928.[2] The only taxon which Danser considered to possess morphological characters atypical of N. mirabilis was N. rowanae. He wrote:[2]
Of all these I have seen the type or at least authentic specimens, but they are nearly all mere growth forms of N. mirabilis. Only N. rowanae shows a character not yet met with in N. mirabilis, viz. campanulate-infundibuliform upper pitchers. A similar aberration, however, is often met with in several allied species and is certainly insufficient for specific distinction.
However, field observations carried out between 2001 and 2003 "showed that N. rowanae possesses several stable, significant morphological and ecological characteristics that are not exhibited by N. mirabilis", and the taxon was subsequently elevated to a species in 2005.[3]
Differences between N. mirabilis and N. rowanae (Clarke & Kruger, 2005) Character N. mirabilis N. rowanae Morphology of leaf blade Acute to rounded Contracted towards the apex, then continuing along the tendril as a narrow, acute, extension Insertion of tendril to leaf blade Simple Peltate Pitcher wings Simple, bearing multicellular fringe elements Often flattened at front, forming a T-shape in XS, multicellular fringe elements often present Leaf blade texture Usually chartaceous Strongly coriaceous Leaf blade attachment to stem Simple, or rarely decurrent for ⅓ the length of the internode Decurrent for at least ½ the length of the internode, usually more Gland density in lower portion of pitcher 1600-2500 / cm² Approximately 3600 / cm² Position of pitcher hip in upper pitchers Mid-way, to lower half Upper quarter Position of pitcher hip in lower pitchers Lower third to quarter Immediately beneath peristome Spelling
According to the ICBN, the correct spelling of this taxon's name is Nepenthes rowaniae, as the epithet is based on the personal name Rowan.[4] There is only one correct way to form this epithet (in the genitive: Rec 60C.1.b.) and the resulting correct spelling is mandatory; any usage of the spelling rowanae is to be corrected to rowaniae (Art 60.11).[5] However, the literature tends to use Nepenthes rowanae, instead.
Natural hybrids
- N. mirabilis × N. rowanae[3]
- N. rowanae × N. tenax[6]
References
- ^ Bailey, F.M. 1897. Contributions to the Flora of Queensland. Queensland Agricultural Journal 1: 231.
- ^ a b Danser, B.H. 1928. The Nepenthaceae of the Netherlands Indies. Bulletin du Jardin Botanique de Buitenzorg, Série III, 9(3-4): 249-438.
- ^ a b Clarke, C.M. & R. Kruger 2005. Nepenthes rowanae (Nepenthaceae), a remarkable species from Cape York, Australia. Carnivorous Plant Newsletter 34(2): 36-41.
- ^ Spelling correction
- ^ International Code of Botanical Nomenclature: Chapter VII, Section I, Article 60
- ^ McPherson, S.R. 2009. Pitcher Plants of the Old World. 2 volumes. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole.
- Kruger, R. 2001. Nepenthes of Cape York (Part 1). Bulletin of the Australian Carnivorous Plant Society 20(3): 13–17.
- Kruger, R. 2001. Nepenthes of Cape York (Part 2). Bulletin of the Australian Carnivorous Plant Society 20(4): 6–9.
Incompletely diagnosed taxa: N. sp. Misool • N. sp. Papua • N. sp. Sulawesi
Possible extinct species: N. echinatus • N. echinosporus • N. majorCategories:- Carnivorous plants of Australia
- Nepenthes
- Plants described in 1897
- Caryophyllales of Australia
- Flora of Queensland
- Nepenthes mirabilis
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