Nepenthes viridis
About
A notable tropical species, *Nepenthes viridis* is easily identified by its characteristic yellowish-green coloration, which remains vibrant even when exposed to direct sunlight. It is a climbing plant, closely allied to the *N. alata* group, and is endemic to the Philippines.
Field notes
Morphology
The plant is a climbing species reaching up to 4 m in height, with stems that are roughly circular and up to 9 mm in diameter. Young leaves have fimbriate laminae up to 10 cm long, while older rosette leaves are lanceolate to elliptic, up to 25 cm long by 3.5–4 cm wide. Lower pitchers are bulbous in the basal third, becoming cylindrical, measuring up to 16.5 cm high by 4 cm wide, with a peristome up to 5–7 mm wide. Upper pitchers are ovoid in the basal third and cylindrical above, reaching 18 cm in length by 2.4 cm in width, and feature a heavily domed lid measuring around 3.8 by 3.2 cm.
Distribution & habitat
Endemic to the Philippines, specifically recorded from coastal areas of Dinagat and Samar, and surrounding micro-islands. They are found growing terrestrially on humic and rocky soils.
History & etymology
The specific epithet viridis is Latin for "green," referring to the plant's typical yellowish-green pitcher color. It was discovered in 2007 by Thomas Gronemeyer and Volker Heinrich and formally described in 2013.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- Philippines
Taxonomy
- Described
- 2013
- Authority
- Micheler, Gronem., Wistuba, Marwinski, W.Suarez & V.B.Amoroso
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- intermediate