Biggest Pitchers

[abcat1993]

What's the Nepenthes with the biggest pitchers? How big?

 

[FarmerDave]

I'd have to say N. rajah which I believe read that it can hold up to a gallon (or more) of pitcher fluid/water, and is also know for having captured mice

 

[vraev]

truncata as well.

 

[DerbyCityNeps]

easily the biggest ive ever seen. its a hybrid though. MONSTER pitchers can come from many plants... how are you looking at it abcat? volume or height? volume is like dave said N. rajah. height may be N. edwardsiana from what ive heard.
Alex

 

[abcat1993]

Height, but it'd be nice to know volume too. That pitcher is so big it could probably eat itself.

 

[xvart]

I remember seeing a picture somewhere where a little child is holding a N. raja pitcher and it is as big as his head. They can get to the size of a football or bigger in good conditions.

xvart.

 

[Clint]

I think volume would be an official way to determine since it fills all 3 dimensions.

N. merrilliana is big. I go for truncata or rajah though.

 

[phissionkorps]

I don't know why everyone thinks rajah is the biggest, because its not. The two biggest are rafflesiana gigantea and merrilliana, followed by rajah

 

[dlybrand]

How can you tell for sure? Different growers get different results. The lowland truncata pitchers at ABG are very large. They'd easily hold more than a half-gallon of fluid and they're well over a foot tall.

 

[phissionkorps]

Many pitchers are over a foot. I'm not talking about different growers, etc. I'm talking about optimal conditions. Asking me how I know for sure is like asking me how I know sumatrana is bigger than bellii...it just is. Merrilliana is the biggest, hands down.

 

[abcat1993]

Is the lowland truncata bigger than the highland?

 

[dlybrand]

I think so, but I don't really know. I've never seen highland specimens even close to as big as the lowland ones.

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

Highland truncata is supposed to be bigger, but I've seen some monsterous lowland plants that are very impressive. N. macrophylla is also a large Nepenthes plant. I'd have to say the 6 top largest from biggest to least biggest would be

N. rafflesiana singapore giant
N. merrilliana
N. truncata
N. rajah
N. edwardsiana
N. spathulata

 

[Argonauta]

Many pitchers are over a foot. I'm not talking about different growers, etc. I'm talking about optimal conditions. Asking me how I know for sure is like asking me how I know sumatrana is bigger than bellii...it just is. Merrilliana is the biggest, hands down.

You didn't answer the question; how do you know for sure Nepenthes rajah does not produce the largest pitchers? I find it hard to believe that a giant form of N. rafflesiana produces bigger pitchers (at least in terms of volume) than N. rajah.

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

Look for a photo of Rob Cantley online with a giant raff. They are certainly very close at least. in terms of volume.

 

[Argonauta]

The image in question can be found here: http://borneoexotics.com/Species%20Data/raff.htm

However, that is nowhere near the size of a large Nepenthes rajah pitcher. The large wings and reflexed lid greatly exaggerate its size.

 

[Clint]

Give us an example (picture) of the largest N. rajah pitcher you can find. \\

I'll agree about the alas.

 

[quogue]

I remember seeing a picture somewhere where a little child is holding a N. raja pitcher and it is as big as his head. They can get to the size of a football or bigger in good conditions.

xvart.

This pic?

 

[mannyherrera]

I believe the largest recorded pitcher came from an N.merrilliana.

 

[quogue]

Biggest picture of a pitcher I've seen was of a Merrilliana I must say...