Hello,
my name is Marcello Catalano, I study carnivorous plants, you can also find my biography on wikipedia. In january I will visit Laos for one month, to study the Nepenthes (pitcher plant, kong khao yen in Lao language) species of this Country. This is a Nepenthes:

http://www.cpitalia.net/wiki/images/thumb/e/e3/Smilesii.JPG/300px-Smilesii.JPG

I know these plants have been found on Bolaven, Phu Khao Kouay and Nakhai Nam Theun, and these are the places that I will visit. I would like to know if any of you has ever seen these plants anywhere else in Laos, or if you have any extra information about the plants in the 3 places that I already said. Even the smallest news could be very precious, thanks!
marcello

Thanks, but as you also stated in your private message, that's not Nepenthes, it's Amorphophallus, and it's not even a carnivorous plants It looks weird, I know, but the flowers only retain insects for pollination, and then let them go. I'm strictly looking for Nepenthes. Thanks!

By the way, you could write the name "carnivorous plant" or "pitcher plant" in Lao characters on google, maybe you'll be lucky and you'll find new information

I know this doesn't help much, but I'm ready to offer a reward to anybody who finds these plants in places that I still don't know. Thanks!

Tommy wrote on 16^th Mar, 2012 at 10:07am:



sure, you can write me at rafflesiana@yahoo.com, I would be also interested in knowing at what altitude and in what habitat you found it... Thanks!

Hi everybody!
My trip to Laos gave very good results, I also met with the staff of two university herbariums and we now work together: when they find Nepenthes in the wild, they contact me, I identify the plant and they give me the gps data for my photos; when I find Nepenthes, I identify it for them and I give them the gps so that they can collect samples
I've recently been told about another two small colonies in Savannakhet.
In Laos there are two Nepenthes species, one usually grows on the mountains and it's safe, the other one grows in the lowlands and of course the increasing number of plantations is putting this species at risk. Fortunately it's the most widespread species of the genus and there's no risk of complete extinction, but it would be a shame if ALL the Lao colonies were lost.
If you have any news about these plants from friends, relatives or neighbours, that's always very welcome; you can also contact me at rafflesiana@yahoo.com, thanks!
Marcello