A Decade of Discovering New Nepenthes Species in Southeast Asia: A Review

Sri Wahyu Imamah; Maya Safitri; Rr Khoirunnisa  Asyahidah; Siti Arfa  Jamlean; Khairunnisak; Bambang Irawan; Firli Rahmah Primula  Dewi

doi:10.22146/jtbb.14181

Sri Wahyu Imamah Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Airlangga. Jl. Dr. Ir. H. Soekarno, Mulyorejo, Surabaya 60115, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0009-0006-7746-1915
Maya Safitri Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Airlangga. Jl. Dr. Ir. H. Soekarno, Mulyorejo, Surabaya 60115, Indonesia
Rr Khoirunnisa Asyahidah Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Airlangga. Jl. Dr. Ir. H. Soekarno, Mulyorejo, Surabaya 60115, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0009-0008-0323-292X
Siti Arfa Jamlean Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Airlangga. Jl. Dr. Ir. H. Soekarno, Mulyorejo, Surabaya 60115, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4205-2717
Khairunnisak Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Airlangga. Jl. Dr. Ir. H. Soekarno, Mulyorejo, Surabaya 60115, Indonesia
Bambang Irawan Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Airlangga. Jl. Dr. Ir. H. Soekarno, Mulyorejo, Surabaya 60115, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1016-4266
Firli Rahmah Primula Dewi Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Airlangga. Jl. Dr. Ir. H. Soekarno, Mulyorejo, Surabaya 60115, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7813-8435

DOI: https://doi.org/10.22146/jtbb.14181

Keywords: Conservation, Carnivorous, Identification, New species, Plant diversity, Taxonomy

Abstract

Nepenthes is the largest genus of carnivorous pitcher plants, with the highest diversity in Southeast Asia, where an estimated 50,000 flowering plant species exist. The estimated plant diversity in this region continues to grow with the discovery of many new species in countries such as Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea. Approximately 180 species of Nepenthes have been identified. The number of species in Southeast Asian countries is likely underestimated due to the lack of taxonomic research on groups with many local endemic species, suggesting that many new Nepenthes species remain unidentified. Therefore, this mini-review aims to reveal new Nepenthes species discovered in Southeast Asia over the past ten years. Data were collected from various journals, including Phytotaxa, Kalpataru, Philippine Journal of Science, Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology, Plants, Thailand Forest Bulletin, Phytokeys, Journal of Sustainable Natural Resources, Reinwardtia, Kew Bulletin, PeerJ, Carnivorous Plant Newsletter, Malayan Nature Journal, and Journal of Plant Taxonomy and Geography. The collected data were analysed based on the description of Nepenthes sp. nov., year of discovery, and distribution area. The identification of new species was based on differences in morphological, anatomical, and molecular characteristics. Thirty-seven new Nepenthes species were discovered in Southeast Asia in the past decade. These findings highlight the need for comprehensive surveys in understudied areas. Future efforts should combine molecular and ecological approaches to improve species discovery and guide conservation strategies addressing habitat loss and climate impacts.

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