Post by rsivertsen on Aug 10, 2007 15:23:07 GMT
Yes Dave, the N. fusca from Sarawak, in my opinion, could be called something else as a separate species, as there are too many differences en-toto with the other forms of N. fusca proper; aside from the color, the leaf shape and all, and they do occupy a specific population whereby their traits hold true with little variation.
Likewise, a similar comparison can be drawn from N. ephippiata in G. Rana, where I think they could actually be reduced to a geo-form of N. lowii, as they have the same large vaulted lid with hair spikes, and just some botanically insignificant differences which could be attributed to genetic drift throughout the Crocker Mountain range; the N. tentaculata from G. Rana is also a little different than other locations, but we just distinguish them as the "G. Rana form".
As for N. curtisii, it's still unclear where exactly it originated; I first saw this plant in Longwood Gardens, which were obviously N. maxima, and was reported to come from Borneo.
Sonny Pierra, sent photos to me several years ago of a N. maxima that grew in northern Borneo, near Brunei and Sabah which did in fact look very much like N. maxima, but he said that these plants were very rare, and didn't really form large populations, which, to me, suggests that they may be small isolated hybrid colonies, (but not necessarily so), as true N. maxima is rather prolific in Sulawesi and other areas such as Doorman's Top.
Another plant he considered to be N. maxima was actually a very large N. fusca with a wide and dark peristome.
Danser's idea of having a Group called the Maxima Group, which would include N. maxima, N. fusca, N. veitchii, etc., makes sense to me.
Likewise, a similar comparison can be drawn from N. ephippiata in G. Rana, where I think they could actually be reduced to a geo-form of N. lowii, as they have the same large vaulted lid with hair spikes, and just some botanically insignificant differences which could be attributed to genetic drift throughout the Crocker Mountain range; the N. tentaculata from G. Rana is also a little different than other locations, but we just distinguish them as the "G. Rana form".
As for N. curtisii, it's still unclear where exactly it originated; I first saw this plant in Longwood Gardens, which were obviously N. maxima, and was reported to come from Borneo.
Sonny Pierra, sent photos to me several years ago of a N. maxima that grew in northern Borneo, near Brunei and Sabah which did in fact look very much like N. maxima, but he said that these plants were very rare, and didn't really form large populations, which, to me, suggests that they may be small isolated hybrid colonies, (but not necessarily so), as true N. maxima is rather prolific in Sulawesi and other areas such as Doorman's Top.
Another plant he considered to be N. maxima was actually a very large N. fusca with a wide and dark peristome.
Danser's idea of having a Group called the Maxima Group, which would include N. maxima, N. fusca, N. veitchii, etc., makes sense to me.
