Sure it does...that's why taxonomy and phylogenetics exist.
Let's look at the Drosera genus. You have the binata complex and the petiolaris complex, for example. Everything doesn't HAVE to belong to one of these. I don't think you understood what I said, in that we don't have to force any Nepenthes to fit into a complex if it's made. A species doesn't HAVE to go into an alata or maxima complex if it there's no reason for it to be there, and in a case like N. veitchii, in my personal opinion, it shouldn't be included in a maxima complex if one were made. If it were, wouldn't N. truncata go into an alata complex? That would make sense, I guess.
Does this make any sense? I'm having a hard time articulating my thoughts for some reason. Taxonomy is a daunting subject in times like this!
The birth of a new idea, I suppose could be a bit uncomfortable too...
Clint I understand exactly what you're saying. And I'll be quite pleased if someone out there reads this thread and is inspired to learn more about
Nepenthes and then comes back to teach me a thing or two about them.
I also see what you mean about not putting species into a formal grouping, if they don't belong. BTW,
D. binata is not a complex, it is just one species with a healthy amount of variation. Might become a complex in the future. On the other hand the petiolaris group has already passed from being a complex into a group of closely related species. See the difference? I would describe
Sarracenia purpurea and
S. rosea as being more like species in a complex; but there is only two of them-not realy a cluster of them; as they are still so close, it is difficult to separate them, and difficult to keep them together as there are there are many, sometimes subtle, yet consistent differences.
While often mentioned, I have yet to see a reason for there to be a
Nepenthes alata complex... For example, I have seen
N. eustashya mentioned as being close to
N. a.. It is not. They do not belong in the same grouping. I am unable to find a close relative among
Nepenthes I would put
N. e. next to (why put it in an alata complex if it doesn't fit?)... Also,
N. alata can hybridize with many species because it is widespread, but this does not necessarily make it closer to these other species.
As quoted from
Nepenthaceae, Flora Malesiana, Vol 15, 2001 by Cheek and Jebb: "peristome flattened", "Lid, (sub-orbicular-)elliptic(-ovate) apex rounded to retuse, base rounded, lower surface usually with a fin-like basal appendage, rarely absent, the apical appendage a low ridge or absent"; "pitchers densely covered in a mixture of long mostly unbranched coppery hairs up 0.7 mm long and minute 4-5 armed white stellate hairs sometime persisting in mature pitchers." and "
Nepenthes alata is somewhat polymorphic, and is by far the most commonly collected species in the Philippines. It is one of only two species is Luzon (the other is
N. ventricosa). The ridge on the lower surface of the lid may be developed into a prominent, even slightly hooked appendage. This lid appendage, together with the spike-like axillary buds, usually petiolate leaf bases and the sinuous pennate nerves suggest a relationship with the
N. maxima group. Specimens from Luzon tend to have the smallest, hairiest pitchers, while those from Mindanao have more strikingly ventricose bases to their pitchers and relatively narrow necks."
Where they are talking about the plants from Mindanao, could they be describing features of
N. mindanaoensis which was named in 2001 and would not have been picked up by Jebb and Cheek? I have never seen an example of
N. mindanaoensis, so I cannot really tell much about about it...
I am not convinced that the plant from Kew, then Longwood Gardens which is now called
N. alata boschiana mimic, is even an example of pure
N. alata. I suppose it could be some sort of mutant, but pitchers are completely glabrous, except for when they are just buds, yet to grow. Does anyone have photos of this clone in its upper growth? I have been growing it for over ten years, but it just keeps on growing in the short shoots phase of development. Does this mimic even show spike-like axillary buds like
N. maxima does?
