Newly Discovered Hairy Pitcher Plant Resembling an Orangutan Found in Borneo

A newly described species of Nepenthes, one of the largest and furriest species ever discovered, has been identified in the wild mountains of Malaysian Borneo.

The back of the leaf is Nepenthes The team that discovered the plant in May 2023 decided to name it after the native Borneo orangutan because of its thick, rust-colored fur.Pongo Pygmaas) People who share the Meriow Mountains in central Sabah.

“It's certainly not as hairy as an orangutan. It's more like a really hairy-chested human,” he says. alastair robinson At the Royal Botanic Gardens of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia. “But the color is almost the same as orangutan fur.”

He suggests that the plant may have a common name: orangutan pitcher plant. Robinson and his colleagues discovered just 39 plants during their two expeditions, which they say are at high risk of extinction if not protected from poaching by collectors.

Mr Robinson said there was evidence that poachers had entered the area and stolen the specimens even before arriving at the scene, as the plants had been sold online.

Nepenthes A genus of carnivorous plants found throughout the tropics of Southeast Asia and parts of the Pacific Ocean and consisting of more than 160 species. It is very popular in the black market horticulture industry because its leaves form spectacular water containers. In the wild, animals fall into these pitchers and drown before being consumed by the digestive enzymes produced by plants.

Mr Robinson said that because the mountain is “essentially a rock mountain”, there is no running water above 300 meters, so the pickasaw is often the only water source for local wildlife. states.

Their jugs reach 45 centimeters in length and can hold much more than 2 liters of water. They're “like their own little ecosystem,” Robinson says.

This new species was first photographed in 2004, but was mistaken for a known variety. “I've been studying Nepenthes “I have lived in Borneo for many years and this species is the furriest species I have ever come across,” says a team member. Alviana Damit At the Forest Research Center in Sandakan, Malaysia. “Naming it after an orangutan is the perfect tribute.”