Nepenthes argentii (; after George Argent) is a highland Nepenthes pitcher plant native to Mount Guiting-Guiting on Sibuyan Island in the Philippines. It is possibly the smallest species in the genus and does not appear to have a climbing stage.
Distribution Nepenthes argentii inhabits subalpine shrubbery "with a smooth wind-clipped canopy 30 cm tall on an ultrabasic ridge". It grows at an elevation of 1,400–1,900 m.McPherson, S.R. 2009. Pitcher Plants of the Old World. 2 volumes. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole.
On Mount Guiting-Guiting, N. argentii is sympatric with N. sibuyanensis at around 1,600 to 1,770 m.Rybka, V., R. Rybková & R. Cantley 2005. Nepenthes argentii on Sibuyan Island. Carnivorous Plant Newsletter 34(2): 47–50. A taxon resembling N. alata grows on Mount Guiting-Guiting at lower elevations of 800 to 1,000 m;Nerz, J., P. Mann, T. Alt & T. Smith 1998. Nepenthes sibuyanensis, a new Nepenthes from Sibuyan, a remote island of the Philippines. Carnivorous Plant Newsletter 27(1): 18–23. it was described as N. graciliflora by Adolph Daniel Edward Elmer.Elmer, A.D.E. 1912. Nepenthaceae. [pp. 1494–1496] In: Two score of new plants. Leaflets of Philippine Botany 4: 1475–1520. Other plant species endemic to the mountain include Lobelia proctoriiArgent, G., P. Wilkie & D. Madulid 2007. Lobelia proctorii sp. nov. (Lobelioideae, Campanulaceae/Lobeliaceae) from the Philippines. Plant Ecology 192(2): 1385–0237. and Rhododendron rousei.Argent, G. & D. Madulid 1998. Rhododendron rousei (Ericaceae): a beautiful new species from the Philippines. New Plantsman 5(1): 25–31.
Nepenthes argentii has no known natural hybrids, although it may hybridise with N. sibuyanensis. No forms or varieties have been described.
References
Amoroso, V.B., L.D. Obsioma, J.B. Arlalejo, R.A. Aspiras, D.P. Capili, J.J.A. Polizon & E.B. Sumile 2009. Inventory and conservation of endangered, endemic and economically important flora of Hamiguitan Range, southern Philippines. Blumea 54(1–3): 71–76. Amoroso, V.B. & R.A. Aspiras 2011. Hamiguitan Range: a sanctuary for native flora. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences 18(1): 7–15. Co, L. & W. Suarez 2012. Nepenthaceae. Co's Digital Flora of the Philippines. McPherson, S.R. & V.B. Amoroso 2011. Field Guide to the Pitcher Plants of the Philippines. Redfern Natural History Productions, Poole. McPherson, S. & T. Gronemeyer 2008. Die Nepenthesarten der Philippinen: eine Fotodokumentation. Das Taublatt 60: 34–78.
External links
Photographs of N. argentii at the Carnivorous Plant Photofinder Borneo Exotics: Nepenthes argentii