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Giant carnivorous plant discovered in Philippines

Wednesday 19th August 2009

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Nepenthes lowii, a related species of pitcher plant from nearby Borneo

A spectacular new species of giant carnivorous plant, discovered in the highlands of the central Philippines, has been named after the famous naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, a Wildscreen Patron. The remarkable plant was first reported from Mount Victoria in the Philippines in 2000, but eventually found and photographed during an expedition by a team of botanists in 2007, led by British experts Stewart McPherson and Alastair Robinson. The expedition also uncovered a number of other fascinating species, including pink ferns, unidentified blue mushrooms, and a striking new species of sundew, another type of carnivorous plant that uses sticky traps to catch prey. Another pitcher plant species, Nepenthes deaniana, which had not been seen in the wild for 100 years, was also rediscovered during the expedition.

One of the largest of all pitcher plants, Nepenthes attenboroughii is able to capture rats as well as insects and other small animals, which fall into the large, modified, pitcher-shaped leaves and are digested by the plant. As with other carnivorous plants, this allows the pitcher plant to obtain nitrogen and other essential nutrients, so enabling it to grow in extremely nutrient-poor soils where other plants may not survive.

Many pitcher plants are under threat from a combination of habitat loss and over-collection. Although Nepenthes attenboroughii does not appear to grow in large numbers, it is hoped that its remote, inaccessible location, thought to comprise only the summit of a single mountain in the Philippines, will help to protect it from the reach of poachers.

This newly described species has yet to be assessed by the IUCN, but a number of other carnivorous plants appear on the IUCN Red List, including:

Nepenthes rajah

image: Nepenthes rajah, with open pitcherOccurring on nearby Borneo, and thought to be a close relative of Nepenthes attenboroughii, the impressive Nepenthes rajah produces pitchers up to 35 centimetres high and 18 centimetres wide. Listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, it is, like many Nepenthes species, under threat from over-collection and habitat loss, but is now considered a valuable tourist attraction.

Nepenthes argentii

image: Nepenthes argentii pitcherAnother species endemic to the Philippines, Nepenthes argentii is, in contrast, the smallest of the Nepenthes species. Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, it has a highly restricted range and so is particularly vulnerable to habitat loss or catastrophic environmental events.

Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)

image: Venus flytrapPerhaps the best known and one of the most extraordinary of carnivorous plants, the venus flytrap catches insects by rapidly snapping shut its modified, trap-like leaves. In high demand throughout the world, it is often collected illegally, and is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

Green pitcher plant (Sarracenia oreophila)

image: Green pitcher plant with fly on hoodThe Critically Endangered green pitcher plant has suffered a devastating decline throughout its former range, as a result of over-collection and the development of its bog habitats. Restricted to just a few small populations in parts of the United States, there is now an Action Plan in place for its recovery.

Visit MyARKive to see a selection of images and videos in the Carnivorous Plants scrapbook

Further information

To find out more about the discovery of this remarkable plant see:

For more information on carnivorous plant conservation see:



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