Scientists have just discovered a new carnivorous plant species, a giant "pitcher" measuring 45 cm tall. Check out the stunning photos!

Our planet is home to an astonishing variety of plant species: some have existed on Earth for millions of years, others have long since gone extinct, and some are yet to be discovered. A new study was inspired by photographs found in old reports and social media — a team of botanists ventured to the remote Meliau Range in Sabah, Borneo, to investigate a curious plant, as reported by Cosmos.

During the expedition, the team successfully described a completely new species of giant pitcher plant, named Nepenthes pongoides. They also found that this species is already at risk of extinction.

The new plant species resembles a massive pitcher that stands 45 centimeters tall and can hold at least two liters of liquid. Scientists believe that the plant has evolved to trap and digest insects to obtain nutrients that are scarce in the soil.

Unlike most other Nepenthes species, much of the new plant is covered with long, coarse, reddish hairs. This resemblance to orangutans from the genus Pongo inspired the species name — pongoides.

During the research, botanists led by Alviana Damita from the Sabah Forestry Department in Malaysia and Alastair Robinson from the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria in Australia were surprised by the timing of their discovery. It also seems unusual that the plant had remained undescribed despite its size and unique evolutionary traits.

The team made two field trips to the Meliau Range, counting individual plants and collecting non-destructive samples for herbarium collections and genetic analyses. The results indicate that the species is already at risk of extinction.

According to Robinson, the main threat to the species' survival is poaching. Other Nepenthes species, especially larger specimens, are known to attract significant interest from illegal horticultural trade. As a result, two Nepenthes species are already considered extinct in the wild due to collectors, whose willingness to pay high prices drives poachers into tropical forests to gather decorative plants for sale.

Compounding the conservation issue for Nepenthes pongoides is its limited population size. During the study, researchers discovered and identified only 39 adult individuals. The plants are also restricted to a single habitat that covers less than 10 square kilometers — this makes Nepenthes pongoides vulnerable to random events, such as fires that could wipe out the entire species.

The authors of the study note that many questions remain about this unique carnivorous plant, such as the range of prey it attracts and the evolutionary purpose of its reddish hairs. In the meantime, Damita and her colleagues recommend collecting and propagating seeds of this endangered plant, if permitted by the Malaysian government.