Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 14:44:39 +0100 From: Laurent Legendre <laurent.legendre@univ-reims.fr> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg4177$foo@default> Subject: Nepenthes of New Caledonia
Hi all again,
Here are some more botanical questions about Nepenthes in New Caledonia.
Nepenthes vieillardii is the only Nepenthes officially described as growing
in New Caledonia. This species grows at many sites on the southern half of
the island. Most of the time it grows in full sun and is rarely found in
shady areas. After seeing many sites I found this species to be rather
variable generating a few questions.
- Has anyone else observed that the pitchers are not too variable in shape
but are very variable in colour?. Some pitchers can be red while others
are pure green. Peristomes can also be either red or green and this, on
green or red pitchers. This lid can also be red or green no matter what
the colour of the rest of the pitcher is. All of this makes many funny
combinations. Even though some plants bear pitchers of only one type, it
does not seem to be always the case. Is there a rationale between all this?
- In the summer, the plants growing in full sun have their roots stuck in
dry, hard, compact clay containing many metal ions. The base of their
stems are swollen. Do they serve as a water storatage organ?
- In one shady area, I found a large colony of a weird, very uncommon
Nepenthes. I only saw this kind of Nepenthes at one spot. It grows in
full shade, in deep forest on organic humid matter. The inter-nodes, the
leaf blades, and the pitchers are three to five times the size of any other
Nepenthes vieilardii I had seen. What's more puzzling, the leaf blades
have a somewhat bluish tint, are dark green and waxy, while N. vieillardii
plants have light green, thin leaf blades. The pitchers of these plants
are more dark violet, than the ones of the other plants. Otherwise, the
shape of the pitchers is somewhat the same even though I'm far from being
an expert on Nepenthes taxonomy. Other N. vieillardii growing in full
shade do not look like this one. Is this pure variation from this species?
Any help would be appriciated. Thanks,
Laurent Legendre.
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