What kind of plant is the giant pitcher plant?
The giant pitcher plant, also known as Attenborough's pitcher plant, was first discovered by two missionaries at the summit of Mount Victoria in central Palawan, Philippines, as a new variety of pitcher plant. It was later confirmed by British botanists that this plant belongs to a new species of pitcher plant, with a huge body that can even devour prey the size of a mouse. It is distributed in Palawan Province, Philippines, at altitudes of 1600 m to 1726 m.
The giant pitcher plant is a terrestrial herbaceous or climbing plant. The stem can reach 3.5 cm in diameter and up to 1.5 m in height, and is cylindrical. The leaves are sessile or have small petioles; the leaves of rosette plants can reach 30 cm in length and 10 cm in width, while the leaves of climbing stems can reach 40 cm in length and 15 cm in width. The leaves are elliptical, with obtuse tips and gradually narrowed bases, clasping two-thirds of the stem circumference and decurrent for 2 to 3 cm.
The giant pitcher plant can produce very large pitchers, sometimes even exceeding the typical size of the pitchers of Nepenthes rajah. The volume can usually exceed 1.5 liters, and occasionally exceed 2 liters. Its lower pitchers are very fragile and bell-shaped, reaching up to 30 cm in height and 16 cm in width. The tendrils are 30 to 40 cm long and 4 to 9 mm in diameter. The tendrils are flattened, with an oblate cross-section. The upper pitchers are similar to the lower pitchers, but are generally funnel-shaped, reaching up to 25 cm in height and 12 cm in width.
The inflorescence of the giant pitcher plant is a raceme, reaching up to 80 cm in length. The male inflorescence has about 100 pedicellate flowers, and the rachis can reach up to 45 cm in length; branching of the male inflorescence has been recorded. The flowers lack bracts and have red tepals. The tepals are broadly ovate with obtuse tips. The female inflorescence is shorter, reaching up to 65 cm in length, unbranched, with about 70 pedicellate flowers, and the rachis can reach up to 20 cm in length. The tepals are brown to purple, ovate, with acute tips.
The giant pitcher plant is distributed in Palawan Province and other areas of the Philippines, growing on Mount Victoria at altitudes of 1600 m to 1726 m. Later, the giant pitcher plant was also found on Mount Sagpaw and the connected ridges in the Victoria Highlands. It grows in shrubland 0.8 to 1.8 m high and is sympatric with several other Nepenthes species.