Nepenthes diatas
| Nepenthes diatas | |
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| Lower pitcher of Nepenthes diatas. Cultivated plant. | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Nepenthaceae |
| Genus: | Nepenthes |
| Species: | N. diatas
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| Binomial name | |
| Nepenthes diatas | |
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| Distribution of N. diatas. | |
Nepenthes diatas (/nɪˈpɛnθiːz daɪˈætəs/ nih-PEN-theez dy-AT-əs; from Indonesian di atas "above, on top") is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sumatra, where it grows at an altitude of 2,000–2,900 metres (6,600–9,500 ft) above sea level.[1] No forms or varieties of N. diatas have been described.
Taxonomy
Nepenthes diatas was formally described in 1997 by Matthew Jebb and Martin Cheek in their monograph "A skeletal revision of Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae)", published in the botanical journal Blumea.[2] However, the name N. diatas had already been in use since at least 1994.[3] The epithet derives from Indonesian di atas ("above"), referring from its endemic status to the northern part of Sumatra, and also its montane distribution.[4]
In 2001, Charles Clarke performed a cladistic analysis of the Nepenthes species of Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia using 70 morphological characteristics of each taxon. The following is part of the resultant cladogram, showing "Clade 3", which comprises N. diatas and three other related species.[5]
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Description
N. diatas is a terrestrial subscandent shrub that grows up to 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) tall. Its leaves are thinly coriaceous and sessile, measuring about 9.5–17 centimetres (3.7–6.7 in) long 2.5–3.5 centimetres (0.98–1.38 in) wide, while the leaves of its climbing stems are oblanceolate. Its fruit valves are in dimensions of 27–32 by 3–4 mm, but the seeds are not discovered in Jebb and Cheek's original description.[4][6]
In general, it was described by Jebb and Cheek as the "far more robust version" of N. singalana, with the key difference is N. diatas have a woody peristome, while the N. singalana equivalent has a papery texture, along with N. spathulata.
Distribution
N. diatas is endemic to Aceh in northern Sumatra, specifically at the summit area of Gunung Bandahara, where it grows in montane scrub and mossy forest in elevations of 2,400–2,600 metres (7,900–8,500 ft).[4]
Natural hybrids
The following natural hybrids involving N. diatas have been recorded.
References
- ^ a b Clarke, C.M. (2018). "Nepenthes diatas". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T39655A143959569. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T39655A143959569.en.
- ^ a b Jebb, M.H.P. & M.R. Cheek 1997. A skeletal revision of Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae). Blumea 42(1): 1–106.
- ^ Jebb, M. 1994. NEPENTHES revision for Flora Malesiana. Carnivorous Plant Mailing List, 9 September 1994.
- ^ a b c Jebb, Matthew; Cheek, Martin (1997). "A skeletal revision of Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae)". Blumea: 33–35.
- ^ a b Clarke, C.M. 2001. Nepenthes of Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia. Natural History Publications (Borneo), Kota Kinabalu.
- ^ "Nepenthes diatas". Flora Malesiana. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
Further reading
- Bauer, U., C.J. Clemente, T. Renner & W. Federle 2012. Form follows function: morphological diversification and alternative trapping strategies in carnivorous Nepenthes pitcher plants. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 25(1): 90–102. doi:10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02406.x
- Harwood, P. 1998. Four Nepenthes "new to science". The Carnivorous Plant Society Journal 21: 64–65.
- Harwood, P., H. Rischer & A. Wistuba 1998. The carnivorous flora of Gunung Bandahara. Carnivorous Plant Newsletter 27(2): 59–61.
- Hernawati & P. Akhriadi 2006. A Field Guide to the Nepenthes of Sumatra. PILI-NGO Movement, Bogor.
- (in Indonesian) Mansur, M. 2001. Koleksi Nepenthes di Herbarium Bogoriense: prospeknya sebagai tanaman hias. In: Prosiding Seminar Hari Cinta Puspa dan Satwa Nasional. Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia, Bogor. pp. 244–253.
- Meimberg, H., A. Wistuba, P. Dittrich & G. Heubl 2001. Molecular phylogeny of Nepenthaceae based on cladistic analysis of plastid trnK intron sequence data. Plant Biology 3(2): 164–175. doi:10.1055/s-2001-12897
- (in German) Meimberg, H. 2002. Molekular-systematische Untersuchungen an den Familien Nepenthaceae und Ancistrocladaceae sowie verwandter Taxa aus der Unterklasse Caryophyllidae s. l.. PhD thesis, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich.
- Meimberg, H. & G. Heubl 2006. Introduction of a nuclear marker for phylogenetic analysis of Nepenthaceae. Plant Biology 8(6): 831–840. doi:10.1055/s-2006-924676
- Meimberg, H., S. Thalhammer, A. Brachmann & G. Heubl 2006. Comparative analysis of a translocated copy of the trnK intron in carnivorous family Nepenthaceae. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 39(2): 478–490. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.11.023
External links
- Photographs of N. diatas at the Carnivorous Plant Photofinder