By PAUL MU
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is recognised as one of the world’s centres of pitcher plant diversity.
The state has 25 species of Nepenthes, including eight found nowhere else, said forest research officer Alviana Damit of the Sabah Forestry Department’s Forest Research Centre.
More than 160 species have been recorded worldwide, mainly in Southeast Asia, she said during her presentation, “From Field Discovery to Global Awareness: Safeguarding Nepenthes”, at the International Day for Biological Diversity 2026, themed “Acting Locally for Global Impact”, at a hotel.
The Philippines has the highest number of species, followed by Borneo and Sumatra, she said.
“One of Sabah’s newest discoveries is Nepenthes pongoides, a giant hairy pitcher plant named after the orangutan,” she said.
The species was first found in 2004 but remained scientifically unidentified.
In 2018, a group of hikers photographed the plant and uploaded the images to social media. The photographs caught the attention of Australian botanist Dr Alastair Robinson, who suspected it was a new species.
After the Covid-19 pandemic, researchers carried out two expeditions and confirmed the species survives at only two locations.
Its total known habitat covers just 1.3 hectares. Its limited distribution makes it highly vulnerable to habitat disturbance, climate change and illegal collection, she said.
The species has been classified as critically endangered, one of the highest threat categories for wild species.
Alviana said illegal collection remains one of its biggest threats because rare pitcher plants are often removed from the wild.
Following the discovery, researchers submitted conservation proposals to the relevant authorities.
The species was later formally described in an open-access scientific journal.
For Alviana, discoveries such as this provide the evidence needed to protect fragile ecosystems before they are lost.
She said each new discovery strengthens the case for conserving not only individual species but also the ecosystems that support them.
“Conservation is not only about protecting what we already know. It also involves understanding new species, their habitats and their ecological roles,” she said.
Unlike ordinary plants, pitcher plants have evolved specialised leaves that form deep, vase-shaped traps.
Often mistaken for flowers or fruits, the pitchers are modified leaves that capture insects to obtain nutrients from nutrient-poor soils.
Protecting these ecosystems will help preserve Sabah’s unique natural heritage for future generations.
Alviana said illegal collection remains one of its biggest threats because rare pitcher plants are often removed from the wild.
