Nepenthes kurata
Nepenthes kurata Jebb & Cheek
Nepenthes kurata is a tropical pitcher plant in the family Nepenthaceae, native to the Philippines. Described in 2013 by Jebb and Cheek, it is distinguished from N. mindanaoensis by its patent petiole wings, bushy hairs on the stem, midrib, and leaf edge, and a lid about half as long as the mouth with a rounded or truncate base. The species is named in honor of Shigeo Kurata, a noted authority on Nepenthes. It is known from a few herbarium specimens collected in 1919 on northeastern Mindanao at 670 m elevation, likely inhabiting forested areas on ultramafic soils.
Description
Nepenthes kurata belongs to the genus Nepenthes in the family Nepenthaceae and is endemic to the Philippines. It was formally described in 2013 by Jebb and Cheek. Key diagnostic features include patent petiole wings, fine bushy hairs (0.1 mm long) on the stem, midrib, and leaf margin, as opposed to the bristle-like hairs (1–1.5 mm long) of N. mindanaoensis. The lid is approximately half the length of the pitcher mouth, with a rounded or truncate base, differing from the cordate base of N. mindanaoensis. The species is named after Shigeo Kurata, in recognition of his influential work on Nepenthes. It is known from a limited number of herbarium specimens collected in 1919 on northeastern Mindanao at an elevation of 670 m. The species is presumed to grow in forested habitats on ultramafic soils.
Distribution
Philippines
Synonyms
Nepenthes alata var. ecristata
