Burmeistera pteridioides McVaugh, Ann.

González, Favio, 2023, Taxonomic revision of Burmeistera (Campanulaceae-Lobelioideae) in Colombia, Phytotaxa 615 (1), pp. 1-113 : 76-78

42. Burmeistera pteridioides McVaugh, Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 52: 400. 1965.

Type:— COLOMBIA. Boyacá: Sierra Nevada del Cocuy, Cubará , “by path from Bachira to Bocotá”, 2250 m, 21 Aug 1957 (fl, fr), P. Grubb, B. Curry & A. Fernández 652 (holotype: K! [ K000250861 ]; isotype: COL! [ COL000004742 ]). Figs. 20 , 21A–C .

Scandent subshrubs up to 1 m tall. Stem glabrous to sparsely puberulous on the young parts. Petiole 4‒5 mm long, puberulous; blade narrowly oblong, 2.5–10.0 × 1–3 cm, basally acute, glabrous to puberulous, especially along the veins beneath, pinnatisect, formed by 9‒12 narrowly to very narrowly oblong lobes, each 15–20 × 1.5–3.0 mm, most at right angles to the rachis, rarely arcuate-ascending, mid-level lobes larger, each lobe with a conspicuous midvein, apex of each segment rounded, margin entire. Peduncle 6–7(– 8–10 cm in fruit) cm long, glabrous, ebracteolate. Hypanthium subglobose to globose, 4–5 × 2.8–3.0 mm, glabrous. Calyx lobes oblong, 3–5 × 2–3 mm, ascending to patent, glabrous, basally contiguous, margin with 1 or 2 teeth per side, apex rounded. Corolla green, glabrous; tube 0.8–1.0 cm long, 1.8–2.0 mm diameter at its mid- and distal portions, inflated proximally; lobes narrowly ovate, falcate, apex acuminate, dorsal lobes 10–12 × 3 mm, lateral lobes 7–9 × 1–3 mm, ventral lobe 4–5 × 2.0– 2.3 mm. Synandrium 2.3–2.9 cm long, exserted up to 1.1 cm; filament tube 1.8–2.2 cm long, puberulous; anther tube 5–7 mm, glabrescent to scarcely evenly puberulous, ventral anthers barbate. Berries oblate, 1.5–1.7 × 1.6–2.0 cm, inflated, glabrous, pink.

Phenology: — Burmeistera pteridioides has been collected with flowers and fruits in August.

Distribution, ecology and conservation status: — Burmeistera pteridioides is known only from the type locality, in the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia, at the northern ridge of the Sierra Nevada de Cocuy (Boyacá), in a cloud forest remnant at 2250 m of elevation. Following the IUCN´s (2022) criteria [B1(EOO) and B2(AOO), conditions (a) and (b), and C2(a)(i)], B. pteridioides qualifies as Critically Endangered.

Notes: — Burmeistera pteridioides is similar to B. pinnatisecta , from the Western Cordillera of Colombia (see distinctive traits under the latter).

Figures

FIGURE 20. Distribution of Burmeistera obtusifolia, B. orientalis, B. pennellii, B. pinnatisecta, B. pomifera, B. pteridioides, B. puberula and B. reclinata.

FIGURE 21. A–C. Burmeistera pteridioides (Grubb et al. 652, type), leaf (A), flower (B) and berry (C). D–G. B. puberula (Killip & Smith 20234, type), leaf (D), leaf margin (E), flower (F) and berry (G). H–K. B. rivina (Pennell 10421, type), leaf (H), leaf margin (I), flower (J) and berry (K). Scale bars: 2 mm in A–C; 1 cm in D, H; 1 mm in E, I; 5 mm in F, G, J, K.