N. xiphioides

N. xiphioides
purchase date: 12 / 02
arrived as a nice size 3
plant origin: Cook's Carnivorous Plants
photo taken: 2 / 04

Nepenthes xiphioides is somewhat surrounded in controversy. It is closely related to N. gymnamphora and N. pectinata that some people disagree over the nomenclature. Is it one species or three? My plant looks closer to my N. gymnamphora than my N. pectinata but all the plants are still small. Anyhow, I have had no troubles with this plant at all. It has produced nice color pitchers and has grown at a quicker pace than my other highlanders. The pitchers are somewhat egg shaped with nice streaking in them. I recently put this plant into full sun and it stressed a bit. It has one small vining stem and many basal offshoots. At this time this species doesn't appear to be a rapid grower in the vining stage compared to some of my other Nepenthes. However this is my only plant for reference. For some reason I haven't seen this plant widely available until until recently.

Cultivation: easy; good moderate grower
Market availability: size2 to size 3; fairly common as of late
Species variability: confusion over species status with N. pectinata and N. gymnamphora
$ / size: inexpensive to moderate $15.00 and up
Cuttings: none available for trade
Sex: unknown