Nepenthes lingulata × truncata
A freshly opened pitcher. They're tall, elongated, and narrow.
The pitchers are initially reddish-purple, but darken with age.
This hybrid inherits the lid appendage from N. lingulata.
An older pitcher - look how dark they get!
New and old pitchers
Description & Care
Nepenthes lingulata x truncata is a stunning hybrid that combines the best of both parents. Hybrids with the small Sumatran highlander N. lingulata are quite rare - I don’t know of any other than those created by Exotica Plants in Australia. Two of their most famous creations using their female N. lingulata are hybrids with N. veitchii and N. truncata, both of which I have in my collection. I believe they’ve recently created a cross with N. edwardsiana as well.
This plant seems to inherit the exact traits you’d want in this cross: the deep purple colour, elongated pitchers, and lid appendage of N. lingulata, plus the size, vigour, and large rounded leaves of N. truncata. In my experience it’s easier to grow than either parent, and does well in intermediate conditions. The pitchers on my plant (which I bought as a cutting) are already enormous, and the plant hasn’t even reached maturity yet.
From what I’ve seen there isn’t much variation in this grex. N. lingulata colouration seems to be very dominant in its hybrids, similar to pitcher shape in N. aristolochioides hybrids.
Anyway, this is a lovely hybrid and if you manage to track down a cutting - don’t let it get away!
How I Grow It
| Media | Long fibre sphagnum moss, perlite, and - optionally - orchid bark (2:1:1) |
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| Water | Damp but not wet |
| Light | Very bright, diffused light |
| Fertilizer | Can take a lot - I fill the pitchers with Maxsea / liquid orchid feed every couple of weeks. |
| Temperature | 12°C (54°F) minimum year-round, with summer highs of ~ 30°C (86°F) |
| Humidity | 70% during the day, rising to over 90% at night |
Learn more about cultivation with my guide to growing Nepenthes.
Day & Night Temperatures
The female parent - Nepenthes lingulata - is a highland species found at elevations of between 1700 and 2100 meters. The male parent - Nepenthes truncata - is a widely distributed species found at elevations of between 0 and 1500 meters.
On average, the hybrid N. lingulata x truncata is likely to grow best with temperatures of approximately 23 - 31°C (73 - 87°F) during the day, and 13 - 21°C (55 - 69°F) at night. This range is highlighted in purple above.
Where to Buy
| Availability | Not in tissue culture, and not recreated by Exotica Plants since the original grex, so only available from cuttings. Very hard to find. |
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| Borneo Exotics codes |
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