This newly discovered Heliamphora species from Cerro Neblina came as quite a surprise, as it seems to be far closer related to the northern species than to Heliamphora tatei and Heliamphora tatei var. neblinae.

Cerro Neblina is the southernmost tepui of the Guyana Highlands at the Brazil-Venezuela border. Recently discovered in 1954, surrounded by extensive rainforests and very difficult to reach, it remains one of the least explored regions in the world. Due to its isolation, it exhibits the highest degree of plant endemism of all the tepuis. In December 1998, a group of nine carnivorous plant enthusiasts (Fernando Rivadavia, Prof. José Maurício Valéria Piliackas, Ed Read, Gert Hoogenstrijd, Christoph Scherber, Dr. Kathrin Hinderhofer and the authors) began an expedition to study the carnivorous plants of Cerro Neblina. Besides locating the previously known Heliamphora tatei var. neblinae, we also discovered a new Heliamphora species which is clearly different.
Rhizomes branching, plants forming dense clumps with age. Pitchers slightly ventricose in the lower half, broad-infundibulate and expanded in the upper part, 15-20 cm, occasionally up to 25 cm long, 5-8 cm wide in the upper part, pitchers greenish with red veins, in exposed habitats dark red; the upper half of the pitchers densely ciliate in their interior, cilia variable, occasionally up to 4 mm, middle part of pitcher glabrous, basal part coarsely ciliate; lid cordate, strongly narrowed at the base, 1-1.5 cm long, 1-1.5 cm wide, with an appendage, 1-1.5 mm long on the outside near the tip; inflorescence about 50 cm long, peduncle glabrous in the lower part, slightly pubescent in the upper part; pedicels 5 cm long; bracts ovate 4-5 cm long, bearing rudimentary pitchers; tepals, 4, oblong-lanceolate 5-6 cm long, 2-3 cm wide, white to whitish-pink; 10 stamens in 1 series, filaments 7 mm long, anthers oblong-lanceolate, approximately 7 mm long, 1.5 mm wide; ovary 3 celled, pubescent, style glabrous; seed approximately 2-3 mm long, compressed, ovate, irregularly winged.

So far, Heliamphora hispida is only known from the southeast end of Cerro Neblina. It is remarkable that Heliamphora tatei var. neblinae is found very scarcely in this area, probably due to different habitat requirements. In the northeast part of Cerro Neblina, Heliamphora tatei var. neblinae grows in huge highland meadows associated with Brocchinia reducta. Heliamphora hispida is the only Heliamphora that grows in meadows around Pico Phelps. It seems that Heliamphora hispida is the dominant species in the southeastern part of Cerro Neblina.
Heliamphora hispida grows at Cerro Neblina, usually in bogs and highland meadows. It is quite common on highland meadows below Pico Phelps, and even at the very top of Pico Phelps (3014 m) some clumps of Heliamphora hispida can be found. Usually it is not associated with Heliamphora tatei var. neblinae, which we have found only in an open meadow east of Pico Phelps. Here, Heliamphora tatei var. neblinae was found growing closely with but clearly separated from Heliamphora hispida, which grows in shady spots on open shrubby bogs. It is remarkable that plants frequently grow partially submerged in these habitats, so that the water level inside of the pitchers is approximately the same as in the surrounding substrate. In that area, we also found another curiosity: a cluster of debris (consisting partially of decayed leaves and rhizomes of H. hispida) fully 1.80 m in height and totally overgrown with H. hispida plants. The southeastern end of Cerro Neblina is mostly covered in low forests, or swampy areas with low shrubs and dominated by Bonnetia and other montane shrubs and treelets. Other areas are dominated by Brocchinia tatei. These areas are not suitable for Heliamphora tatei var. neblinae, which prefers flat open meadows at altitudes of 1800-2000 m. It seems that Heliamphora hispida is better adapted to grow in the shrubby areas in the southeastern part of Neblina and at higher altitudes (1800-3014 m) with their colder and harsher conditions.