Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1998 14:07:54 -0500 From: Alastair Robinson <Alastair_R@compuserve.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg3503$foo@default> Subject: N. sp antarabangsa
Bruce,
Bukit Antarabangsa, which we translate as International Hill, is located
smack on the outskirts of Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.
The hill is therefore on the wrong side of the Banjaran range to be a
likely habitat for N.gracillima. But the peninsular all the same - good
guess!
The picture that you speak of may be a little misleading in that it is
black and white - the pitchers of these plants are not at all like those =
of
the true N.gracillima, at least in terms of their very different
colouration - fresh green, heavily suffused in sanguine red.
I discovered the plants in 1995 on Bukit Antarabangsa (which is
unfortunately heavily developed). A second site I was able to locate abo=
ut
200km away at Serendah, where a golf course had opened up access to the
lower hillside vegetation. I have only seen them at these two sites, and=
nowhere else, which has me a touch miffed.
Conditions were very definitely lowland - up to 40 deg. centigrade on the=
rockfaces where they were found, cooling to the twenties by night. =
They resemble only N.sanguinea, of the peninsular Malaysian species, and
the similarity only stands with regard to the lower pitchers, which, even=
then, are more gracile. The uppers are very markedly different, being mo=
re
or less perfectly cylindrical and very fine. A lowland variety of the
latter? Not quite sure what to think, especially given the noticeable
differences, and I'm just surprised that it should occur in two places
where there are no nearby habitats of highland Nepenthes, if that should =
be
the case.
I have not looked at it in a while, but I believe that my web-page bears =
a
'graph or two of the species. I have taken more recent pictures, and wil=
l
upload these at the weekend if you are desirous of my doing so.
http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/vines/8690/glade.html
The only plants in cultivation are held by myself, and, if it still lives=
,
by Olivier Marthaler of Switzerland, to whom I sent one of my original
cuttings. My three plants have been reduced to one large rosette given a=
n
unfortunate accident which took place while I was in Borneo, so I am
guarding this one carefully, and hope to see it grow to the point that I
can propagate it on.
Sekian terima-kasih.
Alastair.
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