In 2004, Ch'ien Lee informally named the species "N. alpicola" and later "N. aptera". Cultivated plants were sold under both of these names. Although intended to become scientific names, they were never published with an adequate description and are thus considered "nomina nuda". Instead, the species was formally described later that year as "N. rigidifolia" by Pitra Akhriadi, Hernawati, and Rusjdi Tamin. The description was published on November 22, 2004. Two years later, Hernawati and Akhriadi covered the species in their book, "A Field Guide to the Nepenthes of Sumatra", and assessed its conservation status.