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).