taxonID	type	description	language	source
414E87DFFFCAFFD8FF878B40FD74FAEA.taxon	description	On the basis of pitcher characteristics alone, the competing interpretations of N. macrophylla cannot be resolved objectively. However, Chin et al. (2010) demonstrated that N. macrophylla belongs to an extraordinary group of three Nepenthes species (the other two are N. rajah and N. lowii) that trap the faeces of mountain tree shrews (Tupaia montana Thomas (Scandentia )) for nutritional benefit. Tree shrews visit the pitchers to feed on nectar produced by glands on the pitcher lid, and the concave structure of the lid results in the nectar being accessible only if the tree shrews sit astride the pitcher (Fig. 1 d). Tupaia montana marks the location of valuable resources with faeces, and as pitcher nectar appears to be an important food source, these animals frequently defecate into the pitchers (Clarke et al. 2009, Chin et al. 2010). Chin et al. (2010) also demonstrated that the trap geometry of N. villosa is significantly different to that of N. macrophylla and that its pitchers do not trap tree shrew faeces. Field observations by C. Clarke indicate that the same applies to N. edwardsiana. Clearly, T. montana distinguishes N. macrophylla from N. edwardsiana and N. villosa as a source of food, providing a compelling argument (in addition to the morphological characteristics listed by Jebb & Cheek (1997 )) for the recognition of the former taxon as a distinct species. While it is clear that field observations are essential to the elucidation of the relationship between N. macrophylla and tree shrews, it is likely that this association would have been detected much earlier if herbarium specimens included longitudinally dissected pitchers and brief notes about their contents, as this information is obscured when the pitchers are pressed.	en	Clarke, C., Moran, J. A. (2011): Incorporating ecological context: a revised protocol for the preservation of Nepenthes pitcher plant specimens (Nepenthaceae). Blumea 56 (3): 225-228, DOI: 10.3767/000651911X605781, URL: https://doi.org/10.3767/000651911x605781
