Need some help with Nep identification and care.

[Roman Tyrant]

I recently completed a trade for my third Nepenthes and I'm pretty happy with what I received. I believe it is a N. ventricosa x maxima. So I have a few questions. Is there a proper name for this hybrid? I'm thinking it's N. Red Leopard.

How should I treat this plant? Intermediate, lowlander, or highlander?

Will it do well in the same outdoor conditions that my N. Miranda and N. Ventrata have been thriving in?

 

[Tony Paroubek]

The previous owner didn't have an ID for it? It doesn't look like N. ventricosa x maxima to me.

N. Red Leopard is a specific clone from the cross N. ventricosa x maxima. There are N. Red Leopards out there and various plants of N. ventricosa x maxima that are from the same cross but these are NOT N. Red Leopard.

I would guestimate that it's an intermediate/highland plant. So if your N. ventrata is happy it should be happy too. The plant is showing some moisture stress though so I would keep an eye on it until it settles in.

 

[Roman Tyrant]

That's what he said it was so I was just going by that. I'm new to Nepenthes so I really have no idea how to identify it.

I haven't placed it outside yet since temperatures are well into the 90s, although it might benefit from the high humidity. I'm letting acclimate on a sunny windowsill for a few weeks.

I think it got stressed a bit because the plastic bag it was packaged in was slightly open. Should I fill the plastic tray with some water or place a plastic dome over it?

 

[Rocketcaver]

I'll let others address your questions, I just wanted to say that I like the mottling on the pitcher. Very pretty.

 

[Whimgrinder]

I seriously doubt that is N. Red Leopard, but its a bit early to tell, what with that pitcher recently opened. Red Leopard hasn't got that much of a waistline, and not that kind of peristome, and.....well, let me show you N. Red Leopard:

 

[Wire Man]

Looks like N. alata to me. Notice how thin the base of the petioles are. Are the undersides of the leaf pubescent? Does the pitcher have hairs on it?

 

[Roman Tyrant]

It might be an N. alata but it doesn't have the pronounced wings. I don't see any hairs on any part of the pitcher.

What are pubescent leaves?

Does anyone have advice for helping the plant transition:

I think it got stressed a bit because the plastic bag it was packaged in was slightly open. Should I fill the plastic tray with some water or place a plastic dome over it?

 

[Wire Man]

You'll have to feel the pitcher. The pitcher looks like an upper/intermediate, so the alas are going to be reduced. It looks very similar to some N. alata uppers I have seen.

 

[Roman Tyrant]

I'm a bit confused. What should I be feeling for?

I think you are right. Looking through google images, it does bear a strong resemblance to an N. Alata. Oh well, it's still new for me.

 

[Wire Man]

You should be feeling for a fuzzy surface and underside of leaves. That's characteristic of N. alata.

 

[Nepenthesis]

You should be feeling for a fuzzy surface and underside of leaves. That's characteristic of N. alata.

There's actually many different forms of alata, some with lost documentation destroyed in WWI I believe. I was told there are some forms with such little hair its hard to tell, and other forms with a lot of hair. So to be N. alata, it doesn't need to have a bunch of hair on it. It kinda look alataish to me, that was my initial thought, but for some reason, I'm getting this feel that it's not pure N. alata. Its similar to my N. alata spotted, but I can't exactly tell what is off about it. The peristome looks very alataish, the shape kinda looks half alataish and half something else, and the lid looks to round and small to be N. alata.

 

[Roman Tyrant]

Well when new pitchers begin to emerge, I'll post updated images. Thanks for the feedback guys.

 

[Wire Man]

There's actually many different forms of alata, some with lost documentation destroyed in WWI I believe. I was told there are some forms with such little hair its hard to tell, and other forms with a lot of hair. So to be N. alata, it doesn't need to have a bunch of hair on it. It kinda look alataish to me, that was my initial thought, but for some reason, I'm getting this feel that it's not pure N. alata. Its similar to my N. alata spotted, but I can't exactly tell what is off about it. The peristome looks very alataish, the shape kinda looks half alataish and half something else, and the lid looks to round and small to be N. alata.

Like you said, N. alata is a highly variable species. Thanks for bringing up the lid! Another key characteristic of N. alata is the keel at the bottom of the lid right before it joins the peristome. Some alatas have a more elongated body than others.