Nepenthes Benstonei - Ecology

Ecology

Nepenthes benstonei is endemic to Peninsular Malaysia. It is known with certainty only from the summits of low hills in Kelantan and northern Terengganu, although collections and observations from Pahang and Taman Negara National Park suggest it may be more widespread in the region.

Nepenthes benstonei grows terrestrially amongst open, secondary vegetation, where it is exposed to direct sunlight. It is very abundant near the summit of Bukit Bakar, where it grows on cuttings beside a paved road leading to a Telekom Malaysia station at the summit. There, its altitudinal distribution appears to be restricted to 450–600 m above sea level, but overall the species has a wider range of 150–1200 m.

Although the extent of its range is uncertain, N. benstonei appears to have a secure future in the wild as the type locality lies within a protected area and the species's unremarkable appearance means over-collection does not pose a serious threat.