38. Nepenthes Rajah HOOK. F., Transact. Linn. Soc., XXII, p. 421 t. LXXII (1859) ; MIQ., Ill., p. 8 (1970) ; HOOK. F., in D.C., Prodr., XVII, p. 95 (1873) ; MAST., Gard. Chron., 1881, 2, p. 492 (1881) ; BURB., Gard. Chron., 1882, 1, p. 56 (1882) ; REG., Gartenfl., XXXII, p. 213, ic. p. 214 (1883) ; BECC., Mal., III, p. 3 & 8 (1886) ; WUNSCHM., in ENGL. & PRANTL, Nat. Pflanzenfam., III, 2, p. 260 (1891) ; STAPF, Transact. Linn. Soc., ser. 2, bot., IV, p. 217 (1894) ; BECK, Wien. Ill. Gartenz., 1895, p. 142, ic. 1 (1895) ; MOTT., Dict., III, p. 451 (1896) ; VEITCH, Journ. Roy. Hort. Soc., XXI, p. 234 (1897) ; BOERL., Handl., III, 1, p. 54 (1900) ; HEMSL., Bot. Mag., t. 8017 (1905) ; Gard. Chron., 1905, 2, p. 241 (1905) ; MACF., in ENGL., Pflanzenr., IV, 111, p. 46 (1908) ; in BAIL., Cycl., IV, p. 2129, ic. 2462, 3 (1919) ; MERR., Bibl. Enum. Born., p. 284 (1921) ; DANS., Trop. Nat., XVI, p. 202, ic. 7 (1927).
Icones: Transact. Linn. Soc., XXII, t. LXXII (1859) optima ; Gard. Chron., 1881, 2, p. 493 (1881) bona, asc. 1 ; Gartenfl., 1883, p. 214 (1883) bona, asc. 1 ; Wien. Ill. Gartenfl., 1895, p. 143, ic. 1 (1895) asc. 1 ; Journ. Roy. Hort. Soc., XXI, p. 228 (1897) optima ; Bot. Mag., t. 8017 (1905) optima ; BAIL., Cycl., IV, ic. 2462, 3 (1919) asc. 1 ; Trop. Nat., XVI, p. 203 (1927) asc. 1.
Folia mediocria petiolata, lamina oblonga v. lanceolata, apice peltata, nervis longitudinalibus utrinque 4-5 ; ascidia rosularum ignota ; ascidia inferiora et superiora maxima, urceolata, alis 2 subfimbriatis, ore maximo obliquo ; peristomio in collum breve elongato, expanso, 10-30 mm lato, costis 1/2-2 distantibus, dentibus 2-4 x longioribus quam latis ; operculo maximo ovato-cordato, facie inferiore prope basin carina valida exaltata ; inflorescentia racemus magnus pedicellis inferioribus c. 20-25 mm longis 2-floris, superioribus brevioribus 1-floris ; indumentum parcum, villosum v. villoso-tomentosum.
(Stems not climbing, coarse, 15 to 25 mm thick, the internodes very short.) Rosettes unknown. (Leaves coriaceous, petiolate ; lamina oblong to lanceolate, 25 to 50 cm long, 10 to 15 cm broad, rounded and peltate at the apex (the tendril inserted on the lamina at 2 to 4 cm from the apex), rounded at the base, abruptly contracted into the winged petiole, which is about 1 cm thick, dilated at the base, and forms a sheath clasping the stem for 3/4, pennate nerves running obliquely towards the margin, irregularly reticulate in the outer part of the lamina, the longitudinal nerves 3 or 4, rarely 5, on each side, originating from the basal part of the midrib, running parallel in the outer half of the lamina ; tendrils about as long as the lamina, curved downwards, 5 to 6 mm thick near the lamina, 10 to 12 mm near the pitcher. Pitchers all urceolate or short-ellipsoidal, 20 to 30 cm high, 11 to 14 cm wide, with 2 fimbriate wings almost from the base to the mouth, broader and more fimbriate towards the top, 6 to 10 mm broad under the mouth, the fringe segments up to 7 mm long, 2 to 4 mm apart ; mouth very oblique, the front side of the pitcher 1/2 to 2/5 of the back side in length, elongated towards the lid into a neck 2 1/2 to 4 mm long ; peristome expanded, 10 to 15 mm broad at the front side, 20 to 30 cm broad towards the lid, prolongated at the interior side into a perpendicular lamina which is 10 to 20 mm broad, the ribs 1/2 to 1 mm apart at the inner side, 1 to 2 mm apart at the outer margin, the teeth of the interior margin 2 to 4 times as long as broad, inner surface of the pitcher wholly glandular, about 300 to 800 glands on 1 cm2, the glands in the lower part not overarched, so large, that the interspaces are only forming polygones, overarched in the upper half ; lid ovate, rounded at the apex, cordate at the base, 15 to 22 cm long, 11 to 16 cm broad, the midrib keeled in the basal half below, the keel 5 to 10 mm high at some distance from the base, 3 to 8 mm broad ; whole lower surface of the lid with many elevated glands, those on the keel with a wide mouth, the others with a very narrow one ; spur ascending from the back rib of the pitcher close to the lid, about 2 mm thick at the base, attenuate. Male inflorescence a long raceme, the peduncle (20)-40 cm long, about 10 mm thick at the base, about 7 mm at the top, cylindrical, the axis 30 to 40 (-80) cm long, angular and grooved, gradually attenuate ; lower pedicels 20 to 25 mm long, 2-flowered, the upper ones gradually shorter, 1-flowered, all of them without bract. Tepals elliptical to oblong, obtuse ; staminal column 3 to 4 mm long, the anthers in 1 of 1 1/2 whorl. Female inflorescence in the main like the male one, but the tepals somewhat narrower. Fruit short-pedicelled, 10 to 20 mm long, relatively thick, slightly attenuate towards both ends, the valves 2 1/2 to 4 mm broad. Seeds filiform, 3 to 8 mm long, the nucleus not or only slightly wrinkled. Indumentum: stem (with long spreading brown hairs from the youth) later glabrous ; pitchers (densely covered with long spreading brown hairs when young) later sparsely hairy or glabrous ; inflorescences densely covered with adpressed brown hairs when young, later more sparsely hairy in the lower part, the indumentum persistent in the upper part, on the pedicels and on the perigone, the ovary densely appressedly hairy, the fruit less densely to glabrous. Colour of herbarium specimens dark-brown in different hues. (Description after the specimens seen by the author, the part between brackets completed after the description of MACFARLANE, in ENGL., Pflanzenr, IV, 111, p. 46.)
BORNEO. British North Borneo: Mt. Kinabalu, IX 1913, H. S. M. (0) ; Marai-parai Spur, 1-4 XII 1915, CLEMENS 11073, H. B. (m, f) ; 1650 m, 1892, HAVILAND 1812/1352, H. S. M. (m, f).
This very striking species has never been confounded with any other. See for distribution &c. the general chapters.
? Nepenthes Rajah x villosa - Nepenthes sp., MACF.; Journ. Linn. Soc., bot, XLII, p. 127 (1914).
BORNEO. British North Borneo: Mt. Kinabalu, above Kamburangau, 2400-2700 m, II 1910, GIBBS 4300 (l.c.).
MACFARLANE says of this plant: "All available morphological details suggest that this is a hybrid between N. villosa and N. Rajah." Cf. l.c.