Nepenthes ovata was first collected as early as November 1840 or 1841 by Franz Wilhelm Junghuhn on Mount Lubukraya (Loeboekraja).

Junghuhn collected two specimens at an elevation of 1990 m. Their growth habit is recorded as "in silvis cacuminis supremi scandens, repens", which means "in woods above peak creeping, climbing".

[3] In his seminal monograph "The Nepenthaceae of the Netherlands Indies", published in 1928, B. H. Danser referred the plant material collected by Junghuhn to N.

[3][8] These two species were again confused with N. bongso in a 1973 article[4] on the Nepenthes of Borneo, Singapore and Sumatra, authored by botanist Shigeo Kurata.

[8] In the 1983 book Carnivorous Plants of the World in Colour by Katsuhiko and Masahiro Kondo,[6] a photograph of N. ovata is identified as N.

[note a] The holotype, Nerz 1601, was collected on March 16, 1989, on the west ridge of Mount Pangulubao at an altitude of 1800 m. It consists of a rosette with pitchers.

[2] In their monograph "A skeletal revision of Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae)",[5] published in 1997, Matthew Jebb and Martin Cheek identified three specimens belonging to N. ovata as N.

They were taken from Mount Pangulubao at an altitude of between 1500 and 2100 m. Both are deposited at the herbarium of Andalas University in Padang, West Sumatra.

[8] Upper pitchers arise abruptly from the ends of the tendrils, forming a 20 to 30 mm wide curve.

The peristome is broadly cylindrical, up to 10 mm wide, and bears small but distinct teeth.

[2] Nepenthes ovata is endemic to a number of mountains in North Sumatra, particularly in the Lake Toba region.

It grows in stunted mossy forest and ridge top vegetation, often among Sphagnum moss.

[8][13][14] On Mount Pangulubao, N. ovata grows sympatrically with N. gymnamphora (N. xiphioides),[15] N. mikei,[15] N. rhombicaulis,[2] N. spectabilis,[2] and N.

Despite its restricted distribution, N. ovata is no longer considered threatened and its conservation status has been updated to Least concern on the IUCN Red List.

[1] Nepenthes ovata is closely related to a number of other Sumatran highland species, including N. bongso, N. densiflora, and N. singalana.

Charles Clarke writes that he is "reluctant to distinguish N. ovata from [N. bongso] using this criterion only and [is] unable to suggest any other features that might serve this purpose".

[8] However, he retains N. ovata as a distinct species, noting that although the appendage may be present in N. bongso, this is rarely the case and even then it is usually less developed than in N.

In addition, the lower pitchers of N. densiflora have an elongated neck that is far longer than the same structure in N. ovata.

[8] In their description of N. ovata, Andreas Wistuba and Joachim Nerz compared the species to N. singalana.

Nepenthes ovata has numerous glands near the midrib and is densely glandular near and on the hook-shaped appendage.

In comparison, N. singalana is only sparsely glandular near the midrib and bears no glands near the lid apex.

[2] Nepenthes rigidifolia also bears some similarities to N. ovata, but can be distinguished on the basis of its thicker leaves, sub-apical tendril insertion, and mostly ovoid upper pitchers.

Operculo cordato-ovato, facie inferiore prope basin apendice lateraliter applanata obsito.

Operculo cordato-ovato, facie inferiore prope basin apendice lateraliter applanata obsito.

Inflorescentia racemus longus, pedicellis inferioribus 10-15 mm longis, fere omnibus 2-floris.