Fig. 14. Nepenthes mollis (ENDERT 4282). 1/2 x.28. Nepenthes mollis DANS., spec. nova.
Icon. nostra 14.
Folia mediocria sessilia, lamina lanceolata v. spathulato-lanceolata, nervis longitudinalibus utrinque 0 v. 1, raro 2, basi in alas 2 sensim angustatas decurrente ; ascidia ignota ; inflorescentia racemus magnitudine mediocria, pedicellis inferioribus c. 12 mm longis, omnibus 2-floris ; indumentum copiossisimum, in foliis pagina superiore parcius albidum, in foliorum pagina inferiore et caulibus densum obscure badium, in partibus iuvenilibus et inflorescentiis floribusque densissimum obscure badium.
Stems climbing, the part with adult leaves cylindrical or somewhat obtusely angular or flattened, 6 to 9 mm thick, the internodes 10 to 15 mm long ; short stems and rosettes not known. Leaves of the climbing stems coriaceous, scattered, lanceolate or spathulate-lanceolate, about 18 to 20 cm long, 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cm broad, sessile, acute, the margins running more parallel towards the base, the base about 2 cm broad, decurrent into 2 wings, which are 1 cm broad at the top, 4 to 6 cm long, gradually attenuate ; nervation indistinct, the pennate nerves first oblique, soon curving towards the margin and forming one or rarely 2 longitudinal nerves near the margin ; tendrils about 1 1/2 to 2 mm thick near the leaf, up to 2 1/2 mm thick towards the pitcher, always with curl. Pitchers not known.
.
Fig. 14. Nepenthes mollis (ENDERT 4282). 1/2 x.
Male inflorescence a densely flowered raceme, not robust, at last seemingly lateral, the peduncle about 7 1/2 cm long, about 4 mm thick at the base, 3 mm at the top, the axis 10 to 15 cm long ; lower pedicels about 12 mm long, the upper ones little shorter, all of them 2-flowered, without bract. Tepals elliptic, obtuse, about 4 mm long. Staminal column about 4 1/2 mm long, the 1-seriate anthers included. Female inflorescence not known. Indumentum very abundant ; stem velvety by dense coarse brown spreading hairs, which are partly shorter and branched, partly longer and not branched, up to 2 mm long ; the stem near the axils and in its younger parts, the midrib beneath and in its basal part above, and the pitcher-rudiment hairy in the same way, but longer and much more densely, the leaves below rather densely hairy by short branched and longer not branched, softer hairs, the upper surface rather densely hairy with short, simple, whitish hairs ; peduncle and axis entirely covered with hirsute red-brown hairs, the pedicels and the tepals outside and the staminal column with short crisp hairs. Colour of herbarium specimen fallow-dun to ochraceous-brown, the indumentum dark-red-brown. (Description after the under mentioned plant.)
BORNEO. Res. Southern & Eastern Division: G. Kemoel, 1800 m, 17 X 1925, ENDERT 4282, H. B. (m).
Though from this plant, collected by ENDERT on the last Borneo expedition, the pitchers are unknown, the other parts are so peculiar and differ from all other species in such a striking manner, that it seems allowed to me to base a new species on it. It was found on a steep mountain slope, covered with dense forest at 1800 m above sea level. It reminds one to the other species, discovered by ENDERT on the same mountain, viz. N. fusca, by its colour and its red-brown indumentum, but it differs by its quite other leaf shape and nervation, and its still denser indumentum.