Nepenthes ultra ( Nepenthaceae ) , a new species from Luzon , Philippines

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INTRODUCTION
This paper forms part of our studies towards our World Monograph of Nepenthes, building on our Skeletal Revision of Nepenthes (Jebb & Cheek 1997) and our Flora Malesiana account (Cheek & Jebb 2001). In an earlier paper we characterised and provided a key to the Nepenthes alata Blanco group of species which is confined to the Philippines (Cheek & Jebb 2013). In that paper we also reviewed morphological variation within Luzon of what had been considered as a single variable N. alata and showed that two distinct species exist, one in the northern submontane forests (N. alata) and another in the southern Luzon forests, extending to the Visayas and Mindanao (N. graciliflora Elmer). Among the 40 specimens of N. alata (in the wide sense) examined in preparing Cheek & Jebb 2013, two anomalous specimens were found which fitted neither N. alata nor N. graciliflora in morphology. They further differ in being plants of lowland coastal scrub on ultramafic substrates. We widened our search to additional herbaria and recovered additional sheets including three more specimen numbers, which agreed in morphology and ecology with the first two specimens. Following further study of the eleven specimen sheets now available, and after linking these specimens with photographic images of plants in habitat (Nickrent et al. 2006 onwards), we here describe this material as a new species. The main diagnostic differences between N. alata, N. graciliflora and our new species N. ultra are given in Table 1. In practice, N. ultra is unlikely to be confused with any other. It is the only lowland Nepenthes known in Luzon (below 400 m altitude), and is also the only species known to occur in ultramafic areas in Luzon. Jebb & Cheek, Differs from N. alata Blanco in the upper pitchers lacking fringed wings entirely (fringed wings present below peristome at least in N. alata); outer pitcher surface sparsely and minutely stellate hairy, 10 -15 % of surface covered with red-translucent hairs 0.06 -0.1 mm diam (90 % of surface covered with grey hairs 0.2 mm diam in N. alata); stems glabrous or very sparsely hairy at apex (completely covered in dense long white hairs in N. alata). -Type: Ridsdale 1517 (holotype K; isotypes A, K, L, PNH n.v), Philippines, Luzon, Zambales Prov., Santa Cruz, N15°46', E120°00', male inflor., 25 May 1986.

Nepenthes ultra
Etymology. The specific epithet 'ultra' is here used as a noun in apposition. It is a contraction of ultramafic, referring to the soils and geology to which the species appears restricted.
Distribution & Ecology -Philippines, Luzon, lowland coastal areas with ultramafic sclerophyllous scrub; 1.5 -40(-400?) m alt.: "Ultrabasic low scrub to 1.5 m, formation near coast, sclerophyllous and heath-like. Twining among shrubberies or forming dense mats on bare ground" (Co 3582); "Extreme ultrabasic grassland, with gallery forest along streams" (Ridsdale 1517). Conservation -Nepenthes ultra may be extinct at its type locality, which is its only known location on the west coast of Luzon, in Zambales Province at the Acoje Mine concession area near Santacruz. It was collected there in 1986 (Ridsdale 1517) as part of an environmental study supported by the Hilleshög enterprise. The georeference given for that specimen is approximate (whole minutes) and probably estimated from a map. When viewed in Google Earth in July 2012 several square kilometres at the location had been cleared of all vegetation, possibly for open cast mining. The Acoje mine has produced nickel, chromium and platinum group metals (http://mining.fatprophets. com.au/Member%20Area/Product%20Landing/Report%20 List/Report%20Page/Article%20Page.aspx?id=fbc9dd91-58ab-4962-b29d-f711b05aba63&product=Australasian%20 Mining&pt=paid&p=1, acc. 26 Sept. 2013). Ridsdale recorded the specimen as being 'common'. It would be worth seeking additional populations in adjoining, uncleared areas and, if successful, trying to protect them.
This species appears to be confined to ultramafic (also known as ultrabasic) substrates since the data for all five known specimens records this. There are two opposing conservation implications for ultramafic vegetation in Luzon. On the one hand the ultramafic scrub/grassland vegetation is unlikely to be cleared for timber (trees absent or sparse) or for agriculture (soils toxic to crops) as has happened to almost all non-ultramafic lowland vegetation on Luzon. On the other hand ultramafic substrates are often rich in metal ores of e.g. copper, cobalt or chromium, N. ultra N. alata N. graciliflora Upper pitcher shape Subcylindric, slightly constricted in Subcylindric, slightly constricted at Base ventricose, abruptly constricted above middle, ± equally wide at base and apex middle, widest in basal half to a narrower subcylindric upper part  . ultra, N. alata and N. graciliflora. and so are vulnerable to mining. Fortunately, the second location, the Aubarede Peninsula and nearby Palanan in Isabela Prov. (Co 3582,3567,Ridsdale et al. in ISU 132), is now protected as part of the northern Sierra Madre Natural Park. Since the Park is a single management unit in the sense of IUCN 2001, these records are taken as one location. The impression from Co 3582 ("twining among shrubberies or forming dense mats on bare ground") is that several individuals at least were seen here. A photo taken by Co ten years later about 2 km distant from his specimen (see photographic records above), appears to show the same species in the same habitat, suggesting that it may be fairly frequent within ultramafic scrub, at least at the Aubarede Peninsula/Palanan area. The Aubarede Peninsula/ Palanan area is one of only two known locations currently where the species almost certainly survives, the other, also on the east coast of Luzon, is that represented by Ridsdale et al. in ISU 503 which is about 80 km further south than Palanan. This seems to be just outside the Natural Park, but nonetheless in a remote and currently unthreatened area although vulnerable to degradation from tourism pressures. A second photographic record (see photographic images studied, above) very likely represents a fourth location for the species, but a specimen is needed to verify this. Photographed on 6 May 2011, in Aurora Prov., Baler, this plant is likely to survive at present, but its proximity to a private resort (Angara) suggest vulnerability to the touristic resort development along this section of the coast. Therefore, only three specimen-evidenced locations are known for N. ultra but it probably survives at only two of these and 'continuing decline' is indicated. We calculate the area of occupancy (IUCN 2001) of the species as 20 km 2 using the preferred IUCN gridcell-size of 4 km 2 (ascribing a gridcell each to the Aubarede Peninsula and Palanan sites, and one also to the locations 80 km S of Palanan, at Aurora, and in Zambales). Therefore we here assess N. ultra as Endangered according to Criterion B2ab(iii) of IUCN (2001). It is to be hoped that further fieldwork will show that numerous additional individuals and protected locations exist for this species and that its conservation rating can be revised downward to a less threatened category. We suggest that more sites for the species might be found if other areas of coastal scrub are searched in Zambales, Aurora and Isabela Provinces, where most ultramafic deposits near the coast in Luzon are recorded.

Variation and further work
The female flowers of N. ultra remain unknown. Data on numbers of individuals and regeneration at each site, and local threats remains to be collected.
The Zambales and Isabela specimens on which this species is based, agree closely in morphology yet differ slightly in their lid shape -those of Zambales are ovate with a rounded base and apex, while those of Aurora are orbicular with either rounded or retuse apices and a cordate base. Variation also exists in the lid posture and peristome morphology. The image from Isabela, Aubarade Peninsula shows a pitcher with the lid domed, whitish green, the peristome rounded, raised at the front. In contrast the image from Aurora Prov. shows the lid with the two sides flat, raised from the midline, the peristome horizontal in front.