"The Nepenthaceae of the Netherlands Indies" is a seminalmonograph byB. H. Danser on thetropical pitcher plants of theDutch East Indies and surrounding regions.[1] It was originally published in theBulletin du Jardin Botanique de Buitenzorg in 1928,[1] and reprinted byNatural History Publications (Borneo) in 2006.[2]
Danser focused on species native to theDutch East Indies,North Borneo, theMalay Peninsula, and easternNew Guinea (an area roughly corresponding toMalesia minus thePhilippines);species from outlying areas were only mentioned in the general discussion.[1][note a]
Danser recognised 65 species in total, of which 52 were given detailed treatments.[note a] This number included 17 newly describedtaxa:N. carunculata (later synonymised withN. bongso),[3][4]N. clipeata,N. dubia,N. ephippiata,N. fusca,N. inermis,N. insignis,N. leptochila (later synonymised withN. hirsuta),[4][5]N. mollis,N. paniculata,N. papuana,N. pectinata (later synonymised withN. gymnamphora),[3][4]N. petiolata,N. pilosa,N. spectabilis,N. tobaica, andN. tomoriana. All were described in great detail, with many accompanied by line drawings. Danser synonymisedN. edwardsiana withN. villosa,N. hemsleyana withN. rafflesiana, andN. ramispina withN. gracillima;[1][6] all three were later reinstated as valid species.[4][7]
Following this exhaustive revision of the genus, Danser described only two moreNepenthes species:Nepenthes spathulata in 1935[8] andNepenthes densiflora in 1940,[9] with both descriptions also published in theBulletin du Jardin Botanique de Buitenzorg.
Danser recognised the following 65 taxa as valid species (though some, such asN. oblanceolata, only tentatively so).[1] The 13 taxa denoted with an asterisk (*) fall outside the monograph's geographical focus and are only mentioned in its general discussion.[note a]
Danser divided thegenusNepenthes into sixclades based on observations of herbarium material. The clades were theVulgatae,Montanae,Nobiles,Regiae,Insignes, andUrceolatae. Danser's classification was undoubtedly a great improvement on previous attempts, and forms the basis for more recent monographs, such as those ofCharles Clarke (Nepenthes of Borneo andNepenthes of Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia) andMatthew Jebb andMartin Cheek ("A skeletal revision ofNepenthes (Nepenthaceae)" and "Nepenthaceae"). Charles Clarke writes that Danser's monograph "remains the definitive taxonomic work onNepenthes"[3] and explains its importance as follows:[5]
The discoveries of the early 20th century were brought together by Danser and neatly integrated to shed light on many of the unsolved problems ofMacfarlane's monograph. Although he did not collect the material he used, Danser seemed to have gained a good understanding of the genus, which extended beyond classical taxonomy. He speculated about the relationships between certain species on the basis of their evolution and ecology as much as their structural characteristics–something that nobody had done previously.
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| Author | B. H. Danser (introduction byCharles Clarke) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Natural History Publications (Borneo) |
Publication date | April 2006 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | vi + 206 |
| ISBN | 983-812-115-0 |
| OCLC | 78887282 |
Danser's monograph was reprinted byNatural History Publications (Borneo) in April 2006 with a 15-page introduction by ecologist and botanistCharles Clarke.[10]
The 2006 reprint was reviewed byBarry Rice in the September 2007 issue of theCarnivorous Plant Newsletter:[11]
Having a high quality copy of the work is very desirable so you can easily cross reference its contents with subsequentNepenthes monographs. The line drawings are far more nicely presented than can be obtained from photocopied or web versions.
To add further delight to the pleasure, the famousNepenthes expert Dr. Charles Clarke helps lead this voyage of adventure on the high seas ofNepenthes history, by prefacing the work with a fifteen page discussion of Danser—both the man and the eponymous work. With Clarke as your Admiral at the helm, Danser is more approachable than ever before.
Rice pointed out the "[u]nfortunate omissions" of Danser's 1935 and 1940 papers, but concluded by saying that "the new version of Danser (1928) is still a valuable addition to our ever-enlarging collections of carnivorous plant books".[11]
