Patterns of nectar secretion in five Nepenthes species from Brunei Darussalam, Northwest Borneo, and implications for ant-plant relationships

Abstract

Summary The distribution of nectaries and the temporal and spatial pattern of nectar secretion are compared for five Bornean lowland species of Nepenthes (N. albomarginata, N. bicalcarata, N. gracilis, N. mirabilis var. echinostoma, N. rafflesiana) based on results from field studies conducted in Brunei Darussalam, Northwest Borneo. Leaf development together with temporal and spatial pattern of nectar secretion is also given for cultivated Nepenthes bicalcarata, a myrmecophytic species that, in terms of nectar production, appears to be exceptional within the genus. The number of ants trapped in frequently visited pitchers of N. bicalcarata and N. mirabilis var. echinostoma was counted over a set period. The percentage of trapped individuals was remarkably small. It ranged from 0.75 to 1.59% of present ants in N. bicalcarata and from 0.34 to 0.42% in N. mirabilis. The function of extrafloral nectaries in Nepenthes with special reference to N. bicalcarata as well as implications for ant-plant relationships are discussed.