Pitcher Plants of the Old World
Author | Stewart McPherson |
---|---|
Language | English |
Publisher | Redfern Natural History Productions |
Publication date | May 2009 |
Media type | Print (hardcover) |
Pages | xvi 1399 |
ISBN | 978-0-9558918-2-3 (Volume I) ISBN 978-0-9558918-3-0 (Volume II) |
OCLC | 437275713 |
Pitcher Plants of the Old World is a two-volume monograph by Stewart McPherson on the pitcher plants of the genera Nepenthes and Cephalotus. It was published in May 2009 by Redfern Natural History Productions and covers all species known at the time.[1] The work was edited by Alastair Robinson and Andreas Fleischmann.[1]
The monograph was followed in 2011 by New Nepenthes: Volume One, a supplementary work covering the many Nepenthes taxa documented in the preceding few years.[2]
Background
[edit]In an interview with The Hoopoe, McPherson explained his reasons for writing the book and the extensive field work that it involved:[3]
I prepared Pitcher Plants of the Old World in response to the lack of available information on dozens of species of Nepenthes. Since many species of Nepenthes are not in cultivation, and also because there is often confusion concerning those that are, I resolved to study and photograph each species of Nepenthes and Cephalotus in the wild, in order to document each adequately. After graduating from university in 2006 at the age of 23, I began three years of intense research focusing on Nepenthes and Cephalotus, and spent a cumulative total of eighteen months in the field. Over the last three years, I climbed over one hundred mountains across Southeast Asia in search of species of Nepenthes. Many of these journeys were relatively simple, lasting just a few days or less. Others required more extensive effort, and in a few cases, I spent more than one week to find a single Nepenthes taxon.
Content
[edit]The book gives a detailed account of the singular Cephalotus follicularis as well as 120 species of Nepenthes, including one described for the first time (N. micramphora). A further five "incompletely diagnosed taxa" are included: N. sp. Misool, N. sp. Papua (later identified as N. lamii),[4] N. sp. Phanga Nga (later described as N. mirabilis var. globosa),[5] N. sp. Sulawesi (later described as N. nigra),[6] and N. sp. Trang (later described as N. kerrii).[7] Nepenthes hamiguitanensis—which would be described in McPherson's next book, Carnivorous Plants and their Habitats—is treated here as a natural hybrid between N. micramphora and N. peltata.[8]
Species
[edit]In addition to Cephalotus follicularis, the following 120 species and 5 undescribed taxa of Nepenthes are covered in the book.
- N. adnata
- N. alata
- N. alba
- N. albomarginata
- N. ampullaria
- N. angasanensis
- N. argentii
- N. aristolochioides
- N. attenboroughii
- N. beccariana
- N. bellii
- N. benstonei
- N. bicalcarata
- N. bokorensis
- N. bongso
- N. boschiana
- N. burbidgeae
- N. burkei
- N. campanulata
- N. chaniana
- N. clipeata
- N. copelandii
- N. danseri
- N. deaniana
- N. densiflora
- N. diatas
- N. distillatoria
- N. dubia
- N. edwardsiana
- N. ephippiata
- N. eustachya
- N. eymae
- N. faizaliana
- N. flava
- N. fusca
- N. glabrata
- N. glandulifera
- N. gracilis
- N. gracillima
- N. gymnamphora
- N. hamata
- N. hirsuta
- N. hispida
- N. hurrelliana
- N. inermis
- N. insignis
- N. izumiae
- N. jacquelineae
- N. jamban
- N. junghuhnii
- N. kampotiana
- N. khasiana
- N. klossii
- N. kongkandana
- N. lamii
- N. lavicola
- N. lingulata
- N. longifolia
- N. lowii
- N. macfarlanei
- N. macrophylla
- N. macrovulgaris
- N. madagascariensis
- N. mantalingajanensis
- N. mapuluensis
- N. masoalensis
- N. maxima
- N. merrilliana
- N. micramphora
- N. mikei
- N. mindanaoensis
- N. mira
- N. mirabilis
- N. mollis
- N. muluensis
- N. murudensis
- N. naga
- N. neoguineensis
- N. northiana
- N. ovata
- N. paniculata
- N. papuana
- N. peltata
- N. pervillei
- N. petiolata
- N. philippinensis
- N. pilosa
- N. pitopangii
- N. platychila
- N. rafflesiana
- N. rajah
- N. ramispina
- N. reinwardtiana
- N. rhombicaulis
- N. rigidifolia
- N. rowanae
- N. sanguinea
- N. saranganiensis
- N. sibuyanensis
- N. singalana
- N. smilesii
- N. spathulata
- N. spectabilis
- N. stenophylla
- N. sumatrana
- N. surigaoensis
- N. talangensis
- N. tenax
- N. tentaculata
- N. tenuis
- N. thorelii
- N. tobaica
- N. tomoriana
- N. treubiana
- N. truncata
- N. veitchii
- N. ventricosa
- N. vieillardii
- N. villosa
- N. vogelii
- Incompletely diagnosed taxa
Reviews
[edit]The book has been praised for its scope, detail, and high-quality photographs.[9][10][11][12] In their review for the journal Phytotaxa, Maarten J. M. Christenhusz and Michael F. Fay wrote:[10]
This is to date the only publication dealing with the genus Nepenthes throughout its geographical range. He [McPherson] humbly refers the reader to other taxonomic works, but these are all regional treatments. The level of information provided on all the species of Nepenthes is outstanding and has no precedent.
References
[edit]- ^ a b McPherson, S.R. 2009. Pitcher Plants of the Old World. 2 volumes. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole.
- ^ McPherson, S.R. 2011. New Nepenthes: Volume One. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole.
- ^ Pitcher Plants of the Old World – An Interview with Stewart McPherson. The Hoopoe, August 10, 2009.
- ^ Robinson, A., J. Nerz, A. Wistuba, M. Mansur & S. McPherson 2011. Nepenthes lamii Jebb & Cheek, an emended description resulting from the separation of a two-species complex, and the introduction of Nepenthes monticola, a new species of highland pitcher plant from New Guinea. In: McPherson, S.R. New Nepenthes: Volume One. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole. pp. 522–555.
- ^ Catalano, M. 2010. "Nepenthes mirabilis var. globosa M. Catal. var. nov" (PDF). In: Nepenthes della Thailandia: Diario di viaggio. Prague. p. 40.
- ^ Nerz, J., A. Wistuba, C.C. Lee, G. Bourke, U. Zimmermann & S. McPherson 2011. Nepenthes nigra, a new pitcher plant from Central Sulawesi. In: McPherson, S.R. New Nepenthes: Volume One. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole. pp. 468–491.
- ^ Catalano, M. 2010. "Nepenthes kerrii M. Catal. et T. Kruetr. sp. nov" (PDF). In: Nepenthes della Thailandia: Diario di viaggio. Prague. p. 32.
- ^ Gronemeyer, T., A. Wistuba, V. Heinrich, S. McPherson, F. Mey & A. Amoroso 2010. Nepenthes hamiguitanensis (Nepenthaceae), a new pitcher plant species from Mindanao Island, Philippines. In: S.R. McPherson Carnivorous Plants and their Habitats. Volume 2. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole. pp. 1296–1305.
- ^ Fay, M.F. 2009. Book Reviews: Pitcher Plants of the Old World. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 161(4): 449–450. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.01023.x
- ^ a b Christenhusz, M.J.M. & M.F. Fay 2009. "Review of Pitcher Plants of the Old World" (PDF). Phytotaxa 2: 46–48.
- ^ Ellison, A.M. 2010. Pitcher Plants of the Old World, Volumes One and Two. Rhodora 112(949): 95–97. doi:10.3119/0035-4902-112.949.95
- ^ Darnowski, D. 2010. "Pitcher Plants of the Old World" (PDF). Plant Science Bulletin 56(1): 45–46.