Nepenthes Rigidifolia - Botanical History

Botanical History

Nepenthes rigidifolia was discovered by Ch'ien Lee some time before 2001. The species was mentioned as an undescribed taxon in Charles Clarke's 2001 book, Nepenthes of Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia, under the name "Nepenthes species A". At the time, it was recorded as growing at an elevation of around 1600 m.

In 2004, Ch'ien Lee informally named the species N. alpicola and later N. aptera. Cultivated plants were sold under both of these names. Although intended to become scientific names, they were never published with an adequate description and are thus considered nomina nuda. Instead, the species was formally described later that year as N. rigidifolia by Pitra Akhriadi, Hernawati, and Rusjdi Tamin. The description was published on November 22, 2004. Two years later, Hernawati and Akhriadi covered the species in their book, A Field Guide to the Nepenthes of Sumatra, and assessed its conservation status.

The holotype of N. rigidifolia—Nepenthes Team (Hernawati, P. Akhriadi & I. Petra) NP 354—was collected on December 11, 2003, near Sidikalang in Karo Regency, North Sumatra, at an elevation of 1000–1500 m. It is deposited at the Herbarium Universitas Andalas (ANDA) of Andalas University in Padang, West Sumatra. An isotype is held at Herbarium Bogoriense (BO) in Java.

Stewart McPherson observed N. rigidifolia at the type locality in 2007 and published an updated description of the species in his 2009 monograph, Pitcher Plants of the Old World.