Multiple Nepenthes Flower Stalks

Demetrio Lamzaki (Dee_Lamzaki@msn.com)
Fri, 28 Jun 96 02:09:39 UT

>As to each plant having only one flower spike, it was first
>mentioned for a temperate country, but now your comment
>comes from a tropical country (Malaysia) which is home to
>Neps. Maybe my N.khasiana were abnormal or maybe it's just
>this species which produces flower spikes on all of it's main
>branches. I don't know, anyone else observe multiple
>flower spikes per plant with frequency??

Hi Fernando,

In February of '95 my grandpa Nepenthes ventricosa put out 6 flower stalks
from various growing points, both large and small (the climate here is very
highland Nepenthes-like with cool nights the year round but no freezing). The
air was thick with a pungent musky-lemon smell, it was powerful but not as bad
or urine-like as the smell of some other Nepenthes flowers I've experienced.
It
seemed even stronger at night, it uses a nocturnal pollen gatherer perhaps?
If anyone wants to induce multiple flower stalks or keep many flowering
Nepenthes, be careful, you'll be able to smell your collection from several
blocks away! :-)

Regards,

Demetrios