306 ^'^^ Philippine Journal of Science ms 



NEPENTHACEAE 

 NEPENTHES Linnaeus 

 NEPENTHES BRACHYCARPA sp. nov. 



Alte scan dens, partibus junioribus inflorescentiisque exceptis 

 glabra; inflorescentiis racemosis, pedicellis brevibus, 1-floris; 

 operculum ascidii intus planum; foliis petiolatis, nervis longitu- 

 dinalis circiter 2 utrinque, tenuibus, obscurissimis, basi angus- 

 tatis, longe in petiolo decurrento-alatis, leviter amplexicaulibus, 

 baud decurrentibus ; capsulis brevibus, 6 ad 15 mm longis. 



Scandent, 4 to 5 m high or more, glabrous except the dark 

 brown pubescent very young parts and the racemes, the stems 

 terete, brown, about 5 mm in diameter. Leaves alternate, spir- 

 ally arranged, the lamina coriaceous, 12 to 14 cm long, 2 to 3 cm 

 wide, brownish or olivaceous when dry, slightly shining, nar- 

 rowed below and winging the 4 to 6 cm long petiole, the wings 

 about 2 mm wide, about one-third amplexicaul at the base, apex 

 acute or acuminate and extended as a long, slender tendril, the 

 lateral longitudinal nerves at most 2 on each side of the midrib, 

 very slender, obscure, or obsolete. Pitchers reddish, glabrous, 

 or when young somewhat pubescent, about 9 cm long, 3 to 3.5 

 cm in diameter, cylindric-ventricose, dimorphous, those on young 

 plants with two ventral wings which are about 5 mm wide and 

 prominently lacerate-toothed, those on mature plants with the 

 wings reduced to merely low ridges which are not all toothed, 

 0.5 mm wide and high, the base gradually narrowed into the 

 tendril, the mouth oblique, 3 to 4 cm in diameter, ovate, dorsally 

 produced into a short stalk, the peristome cylindric, equal, 2 to 3 

 mm in diameter, densely striate; operculum elliptic to elliptic- 

 ovate, broadly rounded, base rounded or somewhat cordate, about 

 3.5 cm long, 2.5 cm wide, plane, not at all keeled or cristate, 

 inside with numerous small, round glands. Racemes dark brown 

 pubescent, the female ones in flower about 9 cm long and 1.5 cm 

 wide, in fruit very long-peduncled, about 13 cm long and 3 cm 

 wide, the peduncles up to 35 cm long. Pedicels 3 to 5 mm long, 

 pubescent. Sepals elliptic, obtuse, 3 mm long, somewhat pubes- 

 cent. Ovary narrowly ellipsoid, 3 mm long, densely ferruginous- 

 pubescent. Capsules glabrous, oblong to lanceolate, 6 to" 1.5 

 mm long. 



Palawan, Silanga Peak, back of Silanga, Merrill 9588 (type), 9615, May 

 30, 1913. 



The first specimen cited is with female flowers and mature, but old, 

 fruits, while the second is a juvenile stage of what is apparently the same 

 species, both being collected in the same place, on steep, dry, forested 

 ridges at an altitude of from 250 to 400 meters. 



