Tropical pitcher plant

Description

Nepenthes bellii /nɪˈpɛnθiːz ˈbɛli.aɪ/ is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to the Philippine islands of Mindanao and Dinagat, where it grows at elevations of 0–800 m above sea level. The specific epithet bellii honours American botanist Clyde Ritchie Bell. Nepenthes bellii is a climbing plant growing to a height of 2.5 m and occasionally even 10 m. The stem, which may be branched, often scrambles through vegetation but may also grow prostrate along the ground. It is terete or slightly angular and up to 5 mm in diameter, with internodes up to 2 cm long. Leaves are coriaceous and sessile. The lamina (leaf blade) is linear to slightly lanceolate or narrowly elliptic and measures up to 18 cm in length by 3 cm in width. Its apex is acute or obtuse,whereas the base is slightly attenuate and clasps the stem for half to three-quarters of its circumference.It is also slightly auriculate and has an oblique attachment to the stem. The laminar base may be decurrent down the stem to varying degrees or not decurrent at all.Three longitudinal veins are present on either side of the midrib and restricted to the distal third of the lamina. Pinnate veins are abundant and run obliquely to the laminar margin. The tendrils are proportionately very long, especially those bearing lower pitchers, which may be more than 30 cm long. Rosette and lower pitchers are usually cylindrical or ellipsoidal throughout, but may also be urceolate or subglobose. They are small, reaching only 9 cm in height by 5 cm in width. The basal half of the pitcher cup may be somewhat swollen, forming a slight hip around the middle. A pair of wings (≤12 mm wide) runs down the ventral surface of the pitcher cup. These wings are densely fringed with filaments up to 9 mm long, which may be grouped in clusters of two or three (the clusters spaced up to 1.3 mm apart), but are often borne singly (particularly in young plants). The pitcher mouth ranges in shape from suborbicular to broadly ovate and is more or less straight, being only slightly oblique. The peristome is bulbous and cylindrical, subcylindrical, or flattened. It measures up to 10 mm in width, becoming broader and rising slightly towards the top. The peristome bears ribs up to 1 mm high and spaced up to 1.5 mm apart, which terminate in narrow teeth (≤3 mm long) on the inner margin on the peristome. Its outer margin may undulate slightly. The operculum or lid varies in shape from elliptic[4] to ovate or broadly ovate. It has a rounded apex and may have a somewhat cordate base. It measures up to 4 cm in length by 3.5 cm in width. No appendages are present on the lower surface of the lid, although it bears a small number (5 or 6) of sparsely scattered nectar glands. These nectaries are transversely elliptic to circular in shape and measure 0.2–0.4 mm in length. They are unbordered, pit-like, and deep. An unbranched spur up to 9 mm long is inserted near the base of the lid.