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''Nepenthes kerrii'' is a tropical pitcher plant endemic to Tarutao National Marine Park in southern Thailand,〔 where it grows at elevations of 400–500 m above sea level.〔 This species is thought to be most closely related to ''N. kongkandana''.〔〔 Catalano, M. 2010. ''Nepenthes della Thailandia: Diario di viaggio''. Prague.〕 The specific epithet ''kerrii'' refers to Irish medical doctor Arthur Francis George Kerr, who made the first known herbarium collection of this species.〔Guerini, M. 2011. Associazione Italiana Piante Carnivore.〕 ==Botanical history== The first known collection of ''N. kerrii'' was made by Arthur Francis George Kerr in 1928. This specimen, ''Kerr 14127'', was collected at an elevation of around 500 m from what is now Tarutao National Marine Park, Satun Province, Thailand. It is deposited at the Bangkok Herbarium (BK).〔 Italian naturalist Marcello Catalano came across this plant material in 2006 and recognised it as a previously unknown taxon.〔 The specimen's label identified it as "''N. gracilis''" and appeared to state that it was collected at 1500 m (it was later realised that it actually read "''c.'' 500 m").〔 In 2007, Catalano travelled to Tarutao but was unable to relocate the taxon in the wild. With the help of local rangers, however, he was able to determine that it grew in a certain remote area of the park. Several months later, the rangers organised an expedition on their own and were successful in finding the plants. They sent photographs of the taxon to Catalano and these convinced him that it represented a new species.〔 In January 2008, Catalano made two attempts to reach the site discovered by the rangers. Both proved unsuccessful due to the time and effort involved. That same month Catalano met with Stewart McPherson on the Thai mainland and informed him of the findings. McPherson then travelled to Tarutao National Marine Park on his own. After what he described as "the worst treck of my life", McPherson succeeded in relocating the plants. He returned with seeds and photographs, mostly of the upper pitchers.〔 The first published description of ''N. kerrii'' appeared in volume I of Stewart McPherson's 2009 monograph, ''Pitcher Plants of the Old World''. It was included as an "incompletely diagnosed taxon" under the name ''N.'' sp. Trang.〔 McPherson wrote that it was known with certainty only from Thailand, but had also been reported from the Malaysian island of Langkawi. He considered it to be most closely related to ''N. kampotiana'', writing that "()ore extensive observations are required in order to determine whether this taxon merely represents variation within ''N. kampotiana'' or is a distinct species".〔 Around this time, Catalano set to work on the formal description of ''N. kerrii''. However, he lacked all the necessary measurements and photographs to complete it and so, in 2009, he once again attempted to reach the wild plants in Tarutao, but this time the expedition was thwarted by torrential rains. Upon returning to Italy, Catalano contacted Trongtham Kruetreepradit, a Thai local, who travelled to the plants during the dry season and provided the information Catalano needed to finish the description.〔 ''Nepenthes kerrii'' was formally described by Marcello Catalano and Trongtham Kruetreepradit in Catalano's 2010 book, ''Nepenthes della Thailandia: Diario di viaggio''.〔 The description was reviewed by Alastair Robinson, while Andreas Fleischmann provided the Latin translation.〔 ''Kerr 14127'' was designated as the holotype. Contrary to McPherson's interpretation, Catalano and Kruetreepradit excluded the Langkawi taxon from their circumscription of ''N. kerrii'' and identified ''N. kongkandana'' as its closest relative.〔〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Nepenthes kerrii」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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