Nepenthes mirabilis

Nepenthes mirabilis

The common swamp pitcher-plant or tropical pitcherplant (Nepenthes mirabilis (Lour.) Druce, 1917) is a herbaceous species belonging to the Nepenthaceae family.

Systematic –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota domain,
Kingdom Plantae,
Division Magnoliophyta,
Class Magnoliopsida,
Order Nepenthales,
Nepenthaceae family,
Genus Nepenthes,
Species N. mirabilis.
The term is basionym:
– Phyllamphora mirabilis Lour.
The terms are synonymous:
– Nepenthes albolineata F.M.Bailey;
– Nepenthes alicae F.M.Bailey;
– Nepenthes aliciae F.M.Bailey;
– Nepenthes armbrustae F.M.Bailey;
– Nepenthes beccariana Macfarl.;
– Nepenthes bernaysii F.M.Bailey;
– Nepenthes cantharifera Juss.;
– Nepenthes cantharifera Juss. ex Raf.;
– Nepenthes cholmondeleyi F.M.Bailey;
– Nepenthes distillatoria Auclair;
– Nepenthes distillatoria Auclair ex Steud.;
– Nepenthes echinostoma Hook.fil.;
– Nepenthes fimbriata Blume;
– Nepenthes fimbriata var. leptostachya Blume;
– Nepenthes garrawayae F.M.Bailey;
– Nepenthes hainanensis Metcalfe & Chalk;
– Nepenthes hainaniana Metcalfe & Chalk;
– Nepenthes hainensis Y.Fukatsu;
– Nepenthes jardinei F.M.Bailey;
– Nepenthes kennedyana F.Muell.;
– Nepenthes kennedyi Benth.;
– Nepenthes macrostachya Blume;
– Nepenthes mirabilis (Lour.) Rafarin;
– Nepenthes mirabilis var. biflora J.H.Adam & Wilcock;
– Nepenthes mirabilis var. echinostoma (Hook.fil.) J.H.Adam & Wilcock;
– Nepenthes mirabilis var. globosa M.Catal.;
– Nepenthes moluccensis Oken;
– Nepenthes moorei F.M.Bailey;
– Nepenthes pascoensis F.M.Bailey;
– Nepenthes phyllamphora Willd.;
– Nepenthes phyllamphora var. macrantha Hook.fil.;
– Nepenthes phyllamphora var. pediculata Lecomte;
– Nepenthes phyllamphora var. platyphylla Blume;
– Nepenthes phyllamphora var. speciosa Rafarin;
– Nepenthes rowanae F.M.Bailey;
– Nepenthes scyphus Juss.;
– Nepenthes scyphus Juss. ex Raf.;
– Nepenthes tubulosa Macfarl..
This plant, throughout its range, demonstrates great variability in terms of morphology and color of the pitcher; in total the following forms and varieties of N. mirabilis have been described:
– Nepenthes mirabilis f. anamensis (Hort.Weiner) Hort.Westphal (1991);
– Nepenthes mirabilis var. anamensis Hort.Weiner in sched. (1985) nom.nud.;
– Nepenthes mirabilis var. biflora J.H.Adam & Wilcock (1992);
– Nepenthes mirabilis f. simensis (Hort.Weiner) Hort.Westphal (1991);
– Nepenthes mirabilis var. simensis Hort.Weiner in sched. (1985) nom.nud.;
– Nepenthes mirabilis f. smilesii (Hemsl.) Hort.Westphal (2000);
– Nepenthes mirabilis var. smilesii (Hemsl.) Hort.Weiner in sched. (1985).

Etymology –
The term Nepenthes derives from the ancient Greek νη-ne “not”, and πένθος pénthos “pain” and refers to an episode of the Odyssey, in which an Egyptian queen gives Helen a “nepenthes pharmakon”, a drug that soothes pain through the erasure of memories.
The epithet mirabilis comes from miror, wonderful, to marvel, to marvel, stupendous; for the flowers which can be of different colours.

Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Nepenthes mirabilis is a tropical carnivorous plant that is by far the most widespread of the entire genus. Its range covers mainland south-eastern Asia and all the main islands of the Malay Archipelago (minus the Lesser Sunda Islands and the northern Philippines), extending from China in the north to Australia in the south.
In detail it is present in the following countries: Australia (Cape York Peninsula), Borneo, Cambodia, Caroline Islands (Palau and Yap), China (Guangdong province, Hainan, Hong Kong and Macau), D’Entrecasteaux Islands, Java, Laos , Louisiade Archipelago, Maluku Islands, Myanmar, New Guinea, Peninsular Malaysia, Philippines (Dinagat and Mindanao), Sulawesi, Sumatra, Thailand and Vietnam. It has also been recorded on many smaller islands, including Babi, Bangka, Banyak Islands, Batu Islands, Bengkalis, Enggano, Ko Lanta, Ko Tarutao, Langkawi, Mendol, Mentawai Islands (North Pagai, Siberut, Sipura and South Pagai). Meranti Islands (Padang, Rangsang and Tebing Tinggi), Nias, Penang, Phuket, Riau Islands (Lingga Islands and Riau Archipelago), Rupat, Tawi-Tawi, and possibly Wowoni.
This species shows great variability throughout its range and its habitat is that of low altitudes, just above sea level, but has occasionally been observed up to 1400 m.

Description –
Nepenthes mirabilis is a herbaceous plant consisting of a stem up to 15 m long, about 1 cm in diameter. Alternate leaves are positioned along the stem, the central vein of which extends beyond the apex forming a tendril. The tendril ends with a trap, a sac equipped with an operculum called an ascidium. The insects, attracted by the nectar secreted by glands sprinkled on the ascidian, fall inside, where they are digested by a liquid containing pepsin and assimilated by the plant. When the sea squirt is still forming, the operculum is closed, and opens only when the trap is mature. Contrary to a common belief, the operculum has no ability to move, it does not close every time the sea squirt traps an insect. It helps attract prey and prevents rain from filling the trap, compromising its functioning and weighing down the plant. Once a certain height is reached, the stems produce leaves with tendrils that roll up on themselves. As in the vine plant, this expedient allows it to climb or support itself on the surrounding vegetation, to prevent the stem from collapsing and to maximize exposure to the sun.
The leaves are bucket-shaped with an enlarged base that acts as a bowl and an elongated structure that rises like a neck. This “neck” ends in a lid-like structure known as the operculum.
The underside of the bucket-shaped leaf is coated with a waxy, slippery surface, often attractively colored to attract insects. Insects are attracted by the color and the presence of nectar.
Once an insect falls into the leaf, it is trapped and unable to escape due to the slippery surface. The digestive fluid secreted inside the bucket contains enzymes that decompose the captured insects, providing the plant with essential nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus.
The lid, or operculum, plays a crucial role in the capture process. It prevents excessive rain from entering which could dilute the digestive fluid. Furthermore, it serves to maintain a controlled environment inside the bucket.
In addition to specialized leaves, the plant also produces flowers that can vary in color and are often characterized by a unique structure.
There are several varieties and subspecies of Nepenthes mirabilis, which may differ slightly in leaf shape, color and other traits.

Cultivation –
Nepenthes mirabilis is an extraordinary plant that has developed specialized adaptations to survive in environments where the soil is deficient in nutrients. Its ability to capture and digest insects provides the plant with an additional source of nutrients essential for growth and development.
Furthermore, this species has the largest number of known natural hybrids of any species in the genus and several varieties.
This plant can be both epiphytic, growing on trees or on the ground, and terrestrial, growing directly in the soil.
The plant can also be grown outside its natural range, however it must be remembered that it is a plant accustomed to rainforest climates, therefore hot but humid.
For this reason, in temperate climates these plants can be grown indoors, choosing bright rooms but with filtered and not direct sunlight. In summer they can be moved outdoors but taking care to keep them in the shade in an airy place and often misting the leaves with water.

Customs and Traditions –
Nepenthes mirabilis is a carnivorous plant, quite widespread, in a large area that includes all of South-East Asia, extending with sporadic colonies as far as China and Australia.
The name Nepenthes was given by Linnaeus, because he imagined how a botanist, who after a long and troubled journey in south-east Asia had found this astonishing plant in its natural habitat, would feel rewarded for all his efforts and all his worries would be been forgotten, as happened to Elena.
A large number of infaunal organisms have been found in the jugs of this species. These include the sarcophagid fly Sarcophaga papuensis and the mite Nepenthacarus warreni, both found in Australian populations of the plant. Similarly, Aedes dybasi and Aedes maehleri mosquitoes reside in N. mirabilis pitchers on the islands of Palau and Yap, respectively. Both have unusual life histories and morphological traits associated with this habit.
The nematode Baujardia mirabilis was described from N. mirabilis in Thailand. It is not believed to be coincidental; the pitchers of this species appear to be the natural habitat of the nematode. The microecosystems in these pitchers were found to be dominated by mosquito larvae, midges, and B. mirabilis. It is hypothesized that this nematode may have a phoretic relationship with one or more infaunal insect species.
In southern China, tree frogs have been observed in N. mirabilis pitchers. The amphibians do not fall prey to the plant, but rather feed on insects caught in the pitchers. They are unaffected by acidic digestive juices (which can have a pH as low as 2), probably due to the mucilaginous outer layer of their skin.
Furthermore, the first evidence of an aquatic fungus living in the throwing organ of a carnivorous plant comes from a specimen of N. mirabilis growing along the Jardine River in Australia. The mycelial fungus has been observed both living free in the trap fluid and attached to the remains of chitinous insects.
N. mirabilis pitchers were also found to harbor a complex community of bacteria. These bacterial communities appear to be more diverse than those found in the pitcher fluid of N. ampullaria and sympatric N. gracilis in Peninsular Malaysia. In N. mirabilis their composition can also differ significantly depending on the type of jug, which is not found in the other two species.
From an ecological point of view, the conservation status of N. mirabilis is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List. In Hong Kong, it is a protected species under forestry regulations.

Preparation Method –
No particular uses of Nepenthes mirabilis are known.

Guido Bissanti

Sources
– Acta Plantarum – Flora of the Italian Regions.
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Useful Tropical Plants Database.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (ed.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora d’Italia, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Treben M., 2000. Health from the Lord’s Pharmacy, Advice and experiences with medicinal herbs, Ennsthaler Editore.

Photo source:
– https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/171748401/original.jpeg

Attention: Pharmaceutical applications and food uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not represent in any way a medical prescription; we therefore decline any responsibility for their use for healing, aesthetic or food purposes.