Asian Mainland Nepenthes
Matthew Jebb (mjebb@otto.tcd.ie)
Mon, 12 Dec 94 08:54:54 GMT
Dear Perry,
I was interested to hear of your encounters with Nepenthes in Thailand.
The species found in Indo-china are interesting in the way that their
ecology differs from the majority of the genus. We have also got some
peculiar species in the Philippines which inhabit grassland or savanna type
habitats. These species tend to be short rosette shrubs and not climbers,
producing a long scape-like inflorescence, which may be the only indication
of Nepenthes in the habitat, the leaves and pitchers being all but hidden
under the remaining vegetation. In one Philippine species this occurs on
wind-swept mountain ridges, not unlike a moorland vegetation, the Nepenthes
inflorescences waving in the wind being the only give away to their
presence. The fragmentary nature of current collections from Thailand (lack
of climbing stems and 'upper' pitchers) suggests that this growth form may
be present there also.
I am intigued at the relatively high prices these plants are fetching in
these Eastern markets.
Matthew Jebb.