Nepenthes ovata is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Sumatra. The specific epithet ovata is Latin for "ovate" and refers to the shape of the lower pitchers.
Botanical history
Nepenthes ovata was first collected as early as November 1840 or 1841 by Franz Wilhelm Junghuhn on Mount Lubukraya (Loeboekraja). Junghuhn collected two specimens at an elevation of 1990 m. Their growth habit is recorded as "in silvis cacuminis supremi scandens, repens", which means "in woods above peak creeping, climbing". One of the specimens, H.L.B. 908,155-870, was originally deposited at Herbarium Lugduno-Batavum in Leiden, while the other, H.A.R.T. 000252, was deposited at Herbarium Academicum Rheno-Traiectinum, the herbarium of the University of Utrecht. They are now held at the National Herbarium of the Netherlands in Leiden. Both consist of male plant material.
In his seminal monograph "The Nepenthaceae of the Netherlands Indies", published in 1928, B. H. Danser referred the plant material collected by Junghuhn to N. bongso. Danser also treated specimens of N. talangensis under this taxon.
These two species were again confused with N. bongso in a 1973 article on the Nepenthes of Borneo, Singapore and Sumatra, authored by botanist Shigeo Kurata.
In the 1983 book Carnivorous Plants of the World in Colour by Katsuhiko and Masahiro Kondo, a photograph of N. ovata is identified as N. pectinata. Many authors consider the latter to be conspecific with N. gymnamphora. Either way, the species bears little resemblance to N. ovata.
Nepenthes ovata was formally described in 1994 by Joachim Nerz and Andreas Wistuba. The holotype, Nerz 1601, was collected on March 16, 1989, on the west ridge of Mount Pangulubao at an altitude of 1800 m. It consists of a rosette with pitchers. Two other specimens were collected at the same time and location. Nerz 1602 includes a vine with pitchers and male flowers, while Nerz 1603 consists of a vine with male flowers. All three specimens are deposited at the National Herbarium of the Netherlands in Leiden.
In their monograph "A skeletal revision of Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae)", published in 1997, Matthew Jebb and Martin Cheek identified three specimens belonging to N. ovata as N. densiflora. One of these specimens, Frey-Wyssling 43, was collected on Mount Pangulubao at 1800 m, which is the type locality of N. ovata. It consists of an immature rosette and a lower pitcher. A second specimen, Frey-Wyssling 13, was collected in Dolok "Baros", also at 1800 m. Finally, Opperhout 27/11/1929 was taken on that date from the summit of Dolok Sempenan at 1600 m. It consists of a rosette and a lower pitcher with its lid missing. Despite this, it can be identified as belonging to N. ovata based on the structure of the peristome. All three specimens are deposited at the Bogor Botanical Gardens (formerly the Herbarium of the Buitenzorg Botanic Gardens) in Java.
Two further specimens of N. ovata, Nepenthes Team (Hernawati, P. Akhriadi & I. Petra) NP 373 and 377, were collected on December 16, 2003, as part of a conservation expedition focusing on Nepenthes. They were taken from Mount Pangulubao at an altitude of between 1500 and 2100 m. Both are deposited at the herbarium of Andalas University in Padang, West Sumatra.
Description
Nepenthes ovata is a climbing plant. The stem grows to 5 m in length and 6 mm in diameter. Internodes are cylindrical and up to 15 cm long.
Leaves are coriaceous in texture and sessile to broadly sub-petiolate. The lamina is lanceolate-spathulate and reaches 12 cm in length and 4 cm in width. It usually has an acute apex and is gradually attenuate towards the base. Three longitudinal veins, which originate near the base of the lamina, are present on either side of the midrib. Pinnate veins are indistinct. Tendrils may be up to 18 cm long. Their insertion at the end of the lamina is apical.