> Leafing through some books, something which I had been meaning to ask
>about was brought to my attention - Nepenthes distillatoria? Some books show
>it
>as being a synonymous name for another species, whilst others , a destinct
>species found on Sri Lanka. Can anyone (I think Jan can!) help clear this up
>for me?
This is what the www page says:
G: + Nepenthes {L.}
TG: [Nepenthes distillatoria {L.}]
i.e. _N.d._ is even the typus generis of _Nepenthes_ (so it ought to be
valid).
N: [Nepenthes distillatoria {auct. non L.: Brion}]
P: Belg.Hortic.5:196 (1855)
S: =[Nepenthes madagascariensis {Poir.}]
N: [Nepenthes distillatoria {auct. non L.: Jack}]
P: Comp.Bot.Mag.1:271 (1835)
S: =[Nepenthes gracilis {Korth.}]
N: [Nepenthes distillatoria {auct. non L.: Jeanneney}]
P: Nouv.Caled.Agrc.:92 (1894)
S: =[Nepenthes vieillardii {Hook.f.}]
N: +[Nepenthes distillatoria {L.}]
P: Sp.Pl.1.Ed.:955 (1753)
T: Ceylon, Koenig s.n. (?C)
L: Ceylon
N: [Nepenthes distillatoria {auct. non L.: R.Grah.}]
P: Edinb.N.Phil.J.3:371 (1827)
S: =[Nepenthes khasiana {Hook.f.}]
N: [Nepenthes distillatoria {auct. non L.: Steud.}]
P: Nom.2.Ed.2:190 (1841)
S: =[Nepenthes mirabilis {(Lour.) Druce}]
N: [Nepenthes distillatoria {auct. non L.: Wall.}]
P: Cat.:No.2244 (1828)
S: =[Nepenthes distillatoria {L.}] /[Nepenthes gracilis {Korth.}]
i.e. _N.d._ in the sense of its original description by Linnaeus is the
valid and accepted name for the plant from Ceylon (Sri Lanka) but it has
been applied to (at least) 5 other taxa in 6 different circumscriptions
later, all of which were based on a wrong concept of the species _N.d._ not
including the type. I think the reference you found (showing N.d to be a
synonym) cites one of these cases. However, as none of the latter concepts
was followed by a majority of authors, the Linnaean name cannot be regarded
as an ambiguous one. Thus, it is correct to retain it as valid.
Kind regards
Jan