Burmeistera puberula E.Wimm., Repert., 2023

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

43. Burmeistera puberula E.Wimm., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 38: 3. 1935.

Type:— COLOMBIA. Norte de Santander: Pica Pica Valley, above Tapatá (north of Toledo ), 2100‒2400 m, 1–5 Mar 1927 (fl, fr), E. Killip & A. Smith 20234 (lectotype US! [US00146952], designated here; isolectotypes: COL!, NY! [ NY00468003 ], US! [US00146952]). Figs. 20 , 21D–G .

Climbing herbs up to 60 cm tall. Stem glabrous except for the young portions that are puberulous. Petiole 5–20(–30) mm long, puberulous to glabrescent; blade oblong to elliptic, 6–11 × 2.0– 4.6 cm, glabrous above, glabrescent to puberulous especially along the veins beneath, base acute to obtuse, asymmetric, apex acute to acuminate, margin subentire, sinuous or slightly toothed, with 10 to 13 intramarginal (rarely marginal) hydathodes, secondary veins 9 to 13 per side, intramarginal vein present. Subtending leaves reduced to 3–5 × 2–3 cm. Peduncle (3–) 6–9 cm long, glabrous, ebracteolate. Hypanthium urceolate, 3.5–7.0 × 2.5–6.0 mm, glabrous. Calyx lobes ovate, 2–3 × 0.5–1.5 mm, ascending, glabrous, basally spaced by sinuses up to 1 mm wide, margin entire or with one projection per side, apex acute. Corolla uniformly green or often suffused with purple, glabrous; tube 0.8–1.4 cm long, 1.5–1.8 mm diameter at its mid- and distal portions, slightly inflated proximally; lobes narrowly ovate, falcate, apex acute to acuminate, dorsal lobes 9–11 × 1.5–2.5 mm, lateral lobes 6–9 × 1.4–2.4 mm, ventral lobe 5–7 × 1.5–2.5 mm. Synandrium 1.4–2.6 cm long, exserted up to 1.2 cm; filament tube 1–2 cm long, puberulous; anther tube 3.5–6 mm long, glabrescent to sparsely puberulous, ventral anthers barbate, with an apical tuft of white trichomes during pre-anthesis, later glabrescent. Berries subglobose to obovoid, 15–25 × 10–17 mm, inflated, glabrous, fuchsia.

Phenology: — Burmeistera puberula has been collected with flowers and fruits in March, October and November.

Distribution, ecology and conservation status: — Burmeistera puberula is restricted to the eastern slopes of the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia, in cloud forest remnants of the departments of Boyacá and Norte de Santander, at elevations between 1400 and 2600 m. Following the IUCN´s (2022) criteria [B1(EOO) and B2(AOO), conditions (a) and (b), and C2(a)(i)], this species qualifies as Critically Endangered.

Notes: — Burmeistera puberula is the only species from the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia with extremely small (2‒3 × 0.5‒1.5 mm) calyx lobes. It is similar to B. aeribacca and B. kalbreyeri , from which it differs by the stem puberulous, the petiole glabrescent to puberulous, the leaf blade with an intramarginal vein, the dorsal lobes of the corolla 9–11 mm long, and the synandrium exserted up to 1.2 cm (versus the stem and petiole glabrous, the leaf blade lacking an intramarginal vein, the dorsal lobes of the corolla 12–15 mm long, and the synandrium exserted up to 1.6 cm in B. aeribacca and B. kalbreyeri ).

Wimmer (1935) described Burmeistera puberula based on two specimens deposited in NY and US, without designating a holotype. The specimen deposited at US [ US 00146952] is here designated as the lectotype, because it has a dissected flower and a fully formed fruit.

Additional specimens examined:— Boyacá. Santa María, Cordillera Oriental , vertiente oriental, vereda Caño Negro, de Santa María a Cuchilla Negra, 1400‒1900 m, 3 Nov 2004 (fl), J . Granados et al. 422 ( COL) . Norte de Santander. Región del Sarare, entre el Alto del Loro y el Alto de Santa Inés, 1800 ‒2200 m, 18 Oct 1941 (fl, fr), J . Cuatrecasas et al. 12412 ( COL, GH); región del Sarare, hoya del río Margua, bosques en la Quebrada del río Negro, 1800‒2200 m, 9 Nov 1941 (fl, fr), J . Cuatrecasas 12916 ( COL); San Bernardo de Bita, vía hacia Saravena, Alto de Santa Inés , trocha del oleoducto, 1 km antes del Parador, 28.8 km de San Bernardo de Batá , 2300‒2400 m, 1 Nov 1994 (fr), C . Orozco et al. 2957 ( COL); Toledo, Páramo de Santa Isabel , hacia la finca de Palo Colorado, finca de don David Fernández, 2500 m, 4 Nov 1994 (fl, fr), C . Orozco et al. 2989 ( COL); Alto de Majuey , on road between Chinácota and Toledo, ca. 7°30´N, 72°35´W, 2400‒2600 m, 8 Mar 1986 (fl, fr), B . Stein 3642 ( COL); road between Chinácota and Toledo , ca. 10 km S of Alto de Majuey, ca. 7°30´N, 72°35´W, 2200 m, 8 Mar 1986 (fl, fr), B . Stein 3649 ( COL) .

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.