Nepenthes campanulata

Species of pitcher plant from Borneo and the Philippines

Nepenthes campanulata (/n//ᵻ/'/p//ɛ//n//θ//iː//z// //k//æ//m/,/p//æ//nj//ʊ/'/l//ɑː//t//ə/; from Late Latin campānulātus "bell shaped"), the bell shaped pitcher plant, is a tropical pitcher plant native to Borneo. It has also been reported from Palawan, the Philippines, though further field work is needed to confirm this identification. Forest fires destroyed the only known population of N. campanulata in 1983 and it was uncertain whether the species had survived elsewhere or was in fact extinct. It was rediscovered in 1997, several hundred kilometres from the type locality. Nepenthes campanulata is listed as Vulnerable on the 2014 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. No infraspecific taxa have been described. According to Kurata, the collector stated that the species was endemic to this single location "presumably owing to its habitat which is noted as sand and limestone walls at an altitude of 300 m". and 2 cm across. The apex of the lamina is rounded and slightly peltate. The base of the lamina is amplexicaul. Two to three longitudinal veins are present on each side. Pennate veins are inconspicuous. Tendrils are very short and stiff, rarely exceeding 4 cm in length.

The population of N. campanulata from which the type specimen originated was destroyed as a result of forest fires in 1983. Nepenthes campanulata was at this time thought to have become extinct. However, the species was rediscovered in 1997 by Ch'ien Lee on the limestone cliffs of Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak, more than 400 km from the type locality. In July 2013, a taxon closely resembling N. campanulata was observed and photographed growing on the limestone cliffs of the Saint Paul formation, Palawan, the Philippines. Charles Clarke and Ch'ien Lee consider these plants likely to represent N. campanulata, or at least a close relative.