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teeth

there can only be one more lethal place for an insect than this!

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Wow! Watch your fingers, too!
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Nice shot Rob, is it an intermediate/upper pitcher?

I ask because my N. hamata has begun to climb (internodes about 5-8 cm on a  jet black stem) but it's biggest 20 cm pitchers only have an oval mouth and not rounded as your plant shows. Mine has not yet made pitchers on the leaves of the climbing portion of the stem so I can not compare the uppers and lowers on mine yet.

I know it is usually found growing epiphytically, given this do you know if N. hamata's upper pitcher tendrils have to coil around a sturdy object before they will produce pitchers?

Thanks for any thoughts!
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Josh,

It's a lower, about 5" tall. So far as I know the uppers are pretty much green although the claws on the peristome are amazing on the uppers. Sorry I can't answer your question about whether or not the upper tendrils have to coil around an object before they can pitcher. It's not a species I've seen in the wild
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I would guess that if you have a climbing stem that is not producing pitchering leaves, then the lack of an anchor point cound be the problem.
 
I've been thinking of getting some long and thin wooden dowels and staking the pot and placing a couple tendrils around the sticks and see if it encourages any pitchering activity.
The buds are healthy and supple since I maintain humidity above 85% at all times and the light is very high with leaves being very stiff and thick like leather with a red blush on the mid-vein. There are several nodes activating along the stem, one of which has recently unfurled a  10 cm leaf.
N. hamata is just such a great plant. Wicked looking, compact and fast growing! I just can't figure out the climbing stem pitchers... I wouldn't think it wants less light as it climbs. It is interesting to note the climbing stem leaves are only about 1/2-2/3 the size of the largest of the rosette leaves.
Rosette leaves on my plant: 20-25 cm with 20 cm pitchers (max height).
Climbing stem leaves: 12-15 cm.
Once it hits 40-45 cm it begins climbing almost immediately making only a couple of the largest size pitchers.
 
Wow, that's breathtaking! Is it yours, Rob?

And what more lethal place did you have in mind?
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Colin
 
Gotta love that! Thanks for sharing Rob!
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Man that looks familar!"
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Josh, that might work.  The stem of N. hamata is fairly insubstantial and perhaps it can't bear the weight of upper pitchers without support.  Sounds like your conditions are great, low humidity isn't the problem obviously.

A much worse place for an insect would be inside looking up at the claws  
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As to it being mine, well sort of.  I grew it but it really belongs to Borneo Exotics.  N. hamata is actually a fairly easy species to grow and really rewarding and fast for a highlander.  Even much smaller pitchers have the claws.
 
That is why I love neps. They are just so cool!
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Great photo Borneo. Thanks for sharing!

Travis
 
  • #10
Oh, I'd visit Borneo Exotics just to have a look-see at that specimen - it's incredible! Especially since I'm in the region. Definitely thanks for sharing that picture!

Say Rob, isn't the political struggle in Sri Lanka now a little hair-raising, or at the very least, bad for business?

Colin
 
  • #11
Awesome! What a bizarre and completely remarkable plant hamata is. What in the world does it need weaponry like that for? I agree with Peter D'Amato: "Pray it doesn't start walking."
 
  • #12
Is that viscious or what?? Beautiful photograph! Wicked "teeth"!

Yep...I've been gaining interest in a hamata...that just eggs it on.
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  • #13
The easiest, cheapest, fastest growing of the 'teeth' Nepenthes. I am always partial to N. hamata (can you tell?)
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Tony
 
  • #14
Yay, for once I get to say something that might be a breakthrough! My Nepenthes rafflesiana has little teeth. I am sure that everyone's does, and maybe it's been noticed before, but these are more substantial than the little "ridges" on just about every nep peristome, but not near as substantial as a villosa or hamata... mmmm hamata!
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Rob-Beautiful, healthy pitcher, beautiful, healthy picture!
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Thanks for sharing!!
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