Nepenthes maagnawense Lagunday & V.B.Amoroso, 2025

Nepenthes maagnawense Lagunday & V.B.Amoroso View in CoL sp. nov.

Type:— Philippines, Mindanao Island, Bukidnon Province, Mt. Kitanglad Range, Mt. Maagnaw, Lantapan , 10 July 2021, Lagunday, NEL 034 ( holotype PNH!, isotype CMUH!).

Diagnosis: — Nepenthes maagnawense differs from N. kitanglad in having terete non-angular climbing stem ( vs. angular), inconspicuous pennate veins ( vs. distinct), aerial pitchers that are broadest in the upper 1/3 rd ( vs. broadest in the lower 1/3 rd), aerial pitcher lid central basal appendage ( vs. absent) ( Table 1).

Description ( Figs. 2 View FIGURE 2 and 3 View FIGURE 3 ): —Terrestrial shrub-climber, up to 3 m high, scrambling on adjacent flora. Climbing stems terete, internodes of climbing stems up to 5.5 cm, ca. 5 mm in diameter, yellow green, sometimes suffused with pinkish red. Leaves linear up to 13.5 × 2.7 cm at widest region, petioles up to 5.2 cm long, winged, up to ca. 3‒4 mm on each side, base and apex acute, with 3 veins on each side running parallel to the midvein; Tendrils of climbing stems coiled up to 16 cm long × ca. 1 mm in diameter; ground pitchers have inflated bottom ½, becoming slightly infundibular towards the opening, pitcher exterior yellow green suffused with pinkish red, up to 11 cm long × 3 cm at the widest region, pitcher interior creamy white blotched with pinkish red; wings up to 9 mm wide with unbranched wing filaments up to 3 mm runs down in the entire pitcher anterior; peristome, ovate, yellow-green, tapering posteriorly forming a neck, teeth inconspicuous; pitchers are subtended by uncoiled tendrils ca. 3 mm in diameter; lid dorsal surface yellow-green suffused with pinkish red, orbicular, cordate base, obtuse to rounded apex, 3.5 × 3.0 cm, 3 veins traverse on each side through the midsection with pennate veins traversing laterally towards the lid margins; lid ventral surface yellow green becoming suffused with pinkish red in the margins; lid spur unbranched, up to 1 cm long × 1 mm in diameter, central basal appendage triangular. Aerial pitchers yellow-green suffused with red-pinkish red, interiors creamy white in the waxy zone, green digestive zone, up to 23 cm long, up to 5 cm wide near the pitcher opening, slightly inflated lower 1/3 rd, cylindrical mid, becoming infundibular towards the opening, widest in the upper 1/3 rd, distinct hip demarcates the inflated bottom 1/3 rd from the cylindrical mid; distinct paired ridge runs the entire anterior, sometimes with two foliose flaps present immediately below the peristome becoming ridges posteriorly; peristome yellow-green recurved giving a cylindrical appearance, ovate tapering posteriorly forming a neck, teeth inconspicuous; lid dorsal surface suffused with red, 4.0 × 3.5 cm, orbicular, base cordate, apex notched, with 3 distinct veins arising from base passing through the mid-section with pennate veins arising at ca. 45° towards the margins; ventral surface yellow green suffused with red in the margins, extrafloral nectar glands evenly distributed, central basal appendage triangular; lid spur filiform, suffused with red, unbranched, ca 1 cm × 1 mm in diameter, tapers towards the tip. Male inflorescence 2-flowered partial peduncles sit on a 20 cm rachis, scape up to ca. 13 cm, partial peduncles ca. 2 mm, pedicels subtending the male flowers up to ca. 1.6 cm, tetrapetalous; tepals up to 7 × 4 mm, concaved surface with floral nectar glands evenly distributed, oblong to orbicular ca. 0.5 × 0.4 mm; anther tubes up to 5 × 1 mm subtending anther heads up to 3 × 3 mm. Female inflorescence was not observed during sampling. Taxonomic photographs are provided in figure 2.

Etymology: —The specific epithet denotes that the species was discovered in Mt. Maagnaw Kitanglad Range.

Conservation Status: —The species described herein is assessed as Endangered [EN (D)] population size estimated to number fewer than 250 mature individuals. Occurring at 2300–2758 m a.s.l. Known only from the type locality and probably site endemic to Mt. Maagnaw, Kitanglad Range ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ).

Taxonomic and ecological notes: —The species described in this work morphologically falls under Nepenthes alata Blanco (1837: 805) group characterized in Cheek & Jebb (2013d). It thrives at 2300–2700 m a.s.l. at Mt. Maagnaw, Kitanglad Range, Lantapan , Bukidnon, Philippines ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 ). Other noteworthy seed plants thriving with N. maagnawense are N. kitanglad , Arisaema sp. , Dimorphanthera apoana ( Merrill 1905: 39) Schlechter (1918: 185) , Gaultheria sp. , R. javanicum ( Blume 1826: 854) Bennett (1838: 85) , Melastoma sp. , Rhododendron quadrasianum S. Vidal (1886: 170) , Medinilla spp. , Tasmania piperita (Hooker filius 1852: 896) Miers (1858: 110) Vaccinium halconense Merrill (1923: 249) , V. microphyllum Reinwardt ex Blume (1826:851) , V. myrtoides (Blume) Miquel (1859: 1062) , V. perrigidum Elmer (1911: 1094) . The type locality is thickly covered by Saccharum spontaneum Linnaeus (1771: 183) .

Comparison with other species: — Nepenthes maagnawense differs from N. cid in having glabrous stem ( vs. pubescent); three longitudinal nerves ( vs. 2); aerial pitchers that are broadest in the upper 1/3 rd ( vs. broadest at the base), with fringed wings reduced to ridges with two foliose flaps immediately below the peristome ( vs. winged upper 2/3 rd); central basal appendage triangular ( vs. reduced to keel); and prefers open habitats i.e. shrubland at high elevations ( 2300-2700 m a.s.l.) ( vs. undisturbed lower submontane forest). It differs from N. abragracilis in having leaf blades that are widest in the middle ( vs. widest in distal half); aerial pitchers that are broadest in the upper 1/3 rd ( vs. broadest at base), with two foliose flaps immediately below the peristome ( vs. wings reduced to ridges), triangular central basal appendage ( vs. reduced to keel); known in central Mindanao ( vs. NE-Mindanao), preferring open habitats at high elevations ( vs. undisturbed lower submontane forest). Moreover, differs from N. ramos in having glabrous stems ( vs. pubescent); aerial pitchers broadest in the upper 1/3 rd (vs. mostly equally wide at base and apex), triangular central basal appendage ( vs. hooked) specific to open habitats at high elevations ( vs. open habitats on volcanic soil and dense forests in mid elevations).