Nepenthes malayensis

Nepenthes malayensis, or the banded Malayan montane pitcher plant, is a large species of carnivorous tropical pitcher plant native and endemic to eastern mountains of Peninsular Malaysia. The peristomes on both upper and lower pitchers are profusely adorned by reddish bands, or stripes, making the species rather attractive. It grows close to mountain summits around 800-1000 m above sea level in partially shaded areas, though some individuals have been seen striving in open areas. The species was first observed in 2018 and initially thought to be conspecific with "N. sanguinea". "Nepenthes malayensis formal description was published in late 2020 in Kew Bulletin and it is one of the latest three new Malayan species described in the same year (the other two was "N. latiffiana" and "N. domei"). These discoveries have made Peninsular Malaysia home to 15 species of "Nepenthes'."
"Nepenthes malayensis" is listed in the International Plant Names Index (IPNI), and its taxonomic position gets briefly reviewed (and recognized as a distinct species) in Dionée 2021 – a French-language official publication by Association Francophone des Amateurs de Plantes Carnivores (a French carnivorous plant society).
Discovery and taxonomy.
"Nepenthes malayensis" was first sighted by two local natural photographers Dome Nikong and Mohamad Alias Shakri, which later appraised by field research crews composed of Dr. Mohd Norfaizal Ghazalli (MARDI, plant taxonomist), Amin Asyraf Tamizi (MARDI, molecular biologist), Edward Entalai Besi (UPM, plant taxonomist) and Muhamad Ikhawanuddin Mat Esa (UPM, ethnobotanist). The plant was also further appraised by Emeritus Professor Dato' Dr. Abdul Latiff Mohamad, a prominent national plant taxonomist from "Univerisiti Kebangsaan Malaysia" (UKM). The species was then formally described by Amin Asyraf Tamizi, Mohd Norfaizal Ghazalli and Dome Nikong which was published online in Kew Bulletin (vol. 75) on 20th December 2020.
The name "'malayensis"' (- of Malaya) signifies the endemism of this species to Malaya, or Peninsular Malaysia, specifically to the eastern mountain range. "Nepenthes malayensis" was assessed as a critically endangered (CR) species according to the IUCN criteria since very few individuals were observed prior to the publication of the article. This status might need a reassessment following a recent sighting of "N. malayensis" in a neighboring mountain.
The species was mistaken as an allied taxon to "N. sanguinea" on the first sight due to a slight resemblance of the upper pitchers in green individuals. Detailed characterisation of the upper stems, lower pitchers, leaf surface, vascular bundle and DNA marker have since established "N. malayensis" as a distinct species. Diagnostic characteristics that make "N. malayensis" distinct from "N. sanguinea" are cylindrical to broadly angular stem (vs. sharply angular), pubescent (hairy) leaves and tendrils (vs. glabrescent), and broad-cylindrical pithcers which are slightly constricting in the middle and below persitome (vs. narrow pitchers, funnel shaped). The banded Malayan "Nepenthes" also sports prominent stripes, or bands, on the peristomes - an attribute persistent in both upper and lower pitchers of all individuals observed so far - and this reminds one of the stripes on the Malaysian Flag. Green (colour of the pitchers) individuals were the most sighted varieties while dark-reddish varieties were less common. Nothospecies (natural hybrids) of "N. malayensis" possibily exist within the same habitat based on sightings of some plants that resembled "N. malayensis" (but with slight different pitcher morphology especially the lid) and this has not been properly documented.
Compared to "N. sanguinea", "N. malayensis" has not been observed growing on soil in its natural habitat. "Nepenthes malayensis" exclusively grows on humus accumulated on rocks (facultative lithophytic) or moss banks on tree branches making it a non-terrestrial "Nepenthes", which might be the main factor of its elusiveness from past researchers and explorers.
"Nepenthes malayensis" joins the rank of large "Nepenthes" ever recorded in the wild as mature plants can grow pitchers up to 35 cm tall with volume around 800 mL. "Nepenthes rajah", the largest species from Sabah, can grow pitchers up to 41 cm tall while "N. truncata" from southern Philippines and "N." "attenboroughii" from Palawan have been recorded to produce pitchers 40 cm and 30 cm tall, respectively. 