The Nepenthaceae of the Netherlands Indies (Reprint)

The Nepenthaceae is of interest to both scientists and amateur enthusiasts, due to its carnivorous nature and he spectacular pitchers that the plants produce in order to catch their prey. Many of the species were discovered during the 19th and the early 20th centuries, with the centre of diversity being the Sunda Shelf, in particular the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Nepenthes is synonymous with the exploration of Borneo and the highest mountain on the island, Mount Kinabalu.

The genus was popular in cultivation in the late 19th century, with many new species entering herbaria via private collections. In addition, many hybrids were horticulturally produced, leading to a plethora of new names and descriptions. The quality of this work not always of a high standard, with some species incompletely described, or known purely form material derived from cultivated plants (Jebb & Cheek 1997). This resulted in a number of taxonomic and nomenclatural problems., some of which persist to this day.