Nepenthes mirabilis Facts for Kids

"Nepenthes phyllamphora" redirects here. For other uses, see Nepenthes phyllamphora (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids Nepenthes mirabilis

A pitcher of Nepenthes mirabilis
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Nepenthes
Species:	mirabilis

Where N. mirabilis grows.

Nepenthes mirabilis (say: Neh-PEN-theez Mih-RAH-bih-liss) is a special kind of carnivorous plant. It's also known as the common swamp pitcher-plant or tropical pitcher plant. The name mirabilis comes from Latin and means "wonderful."

This plant is found in more places than any other Nepenthes species. It grows across Southeast Asia, from China in the north all the way to Australia in the south, and on many islands. This plant can look quite different depending on where it grows. One interesting type, N. mirabilis var. echinostoma, has a very wide mouth on its pitcher.

N. mirabilis is listed as "Least Concern" on the IUCN Red List. This means it's not currently in danger of disappearing. In Hong Kong, it is even a protected plant.

Where it Grows
Different Types of Nepenthes mirabilis
- N. mirabilis var. echinostoma
- N. mirabilis var. globosa
Animals Living in the Pitchers
Natural Hybrids
Images for kids
See also

Where it Grows

Nepenthes mirabilis grows in many different places, more than any other Nepenthes plant! You can find it in countries like Australia (in the Cape York Peninsula), Borneo, Cambodia, China (including Hainan and Hong Kong), Java, Laos, Myanmar, New Guinea, Peninsular Malaysia, the Philippines, Sulawesi, Sumatra, Thailand, and Vietnam. It also lives on many smaller islands in these areas.

Different Types of Nepenthes mirabilis

N. mirabilis comes in many shapes and colors, especially its pitchers. Because of this, it has many different names, but most of these are not used anymore. However, two types are still recognized today: N. mirabilis var. echinostoma and N. mirabilis var. globosa.

N. mirabilis var. echinostoma

A pitcher of N. mirabilis var. echinostoma.

This special type of Nepenthes mirabilis was first found in 1865. People noticed its unique pitcher mouth, which was described as looking like the "teeth of some gigantic moss."

N. mirabilis var. echinostoma is the only type of this plant found in Brunei. It also grows in parts of Sarawak, but not in Sabah.

N. mirabilis var. globosa

A pitcher of a cultivated N. mirabilis var. globosa.

Nepenthes mirabilis pitchers being used to cook rice by the Jarai people of Kon Tum Province, Vietnam

Nepenthes mirabilis var. globosa has been found on an island in the Andaman Sea near Phang Nga and on the Thai mainland near Trang.

This type is often called "Nepenthes Viking" because its pitchers look a bit like the front of a Viking ship. The word globosa means "round" or "globular" in Latin, which describes its shape.

Animals Living in the Pitchers

Many small creatures live inside the pitchers of N. mirabilis. These are called "infauna."

In Australia, you might find the fly Sarcophaga papuensis and the mite Nepenthacarus warreni.
On the islands of Palau and Yap, special mosquitoes like Aedes dybasi and Aedes maehleri live in the pitchers.
A tiny worm called a nematode, Baujardia mirabilis, has been found in N. mirabilis pitchers in Thailand. It seems this is its natural home!
In southern China, tree frogs sometimes hang out in the pitchers. They don't get eaten by the plant. Instead, they eat the insects that the plant catches! The frogs are safe from the plant's acidic juices because their skin has a protective layer.
Even tiny fungi have been found living in the pitcher fluid in Australia.
The pitchers also have many different kinds of bacteria living inside them. These bacterial communities can be very diverse.

Natural Hybrids

Nepenthes mirabilis is known for having the most natural hybrids (mixes with other species) of any Nepenthes plant. This happens when two different Nepenthes species grow close together and cross-pollinate.

Some examples of its natural hybrids include: