Burmeistera longifolia Gleason, Bull. Torrey Bot.

González, Favio, 2023, Taxonomic revision of Burmeistera (Campanulaceae-Lobelioideae) in Colombia, Phytotaxa 615 (1), pp. 1-113 : 59

28. Burmeistera longifolia Gleason, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 52: 97. 1925.

Type :— COLOMBIA. Córdoba: “In silva prope cascada Chorron, ad meridiem Antizalez”, 7–11 Feb 1922 (fl), 2400‒2700 m, F. Pennell 4399 (holotype: NY! [ NY00467995 ]). Figs. 13F–G , 14 .

Subshrubs up to 2 m tall. Stem puberulous. Petiole 5–8 mm long, puberulous; blade narrowly ovate, 6–11 × 1.8–3.6 cm, not falcate, glabrescent above, puberulous beneath, base cuneate to obtuse, apex acuminate, margin subentire to slightly toothed, with 1 or 2 marginal or slightly extramarginal hydathodes per cm, evenly distributed mainly along the distal half, secondary veins 6 or 7 pairs, intramarginal vein lacking. Subtending leaves reduced to 2.8 cm long. Peduncle 5–7 cm, glabrous, ebracteolate. Hypanthium obconic, 5–8 × 4–5 mm, puberulous. Calyx lobes oblong, 1.5–3.5 × 1–2 mm, patent to ascending, puberulous, basally spaced by sinuses 0.8‒1.2 mm wide, margin with one or two crenations per side, apex obtuse. Corolla yellowish-green, puberulous; tube 15–20 mm long, 3‒4 mm diameter at its mid-level, slightly inflated proximally; lobes oblong to broadly ovate, falcate, dorsal lobes 12–13 × 3.8–4.0 mm, lateral lobes 7.6–8.0 × 5–6 mm, ventral lobe 7.6–8.0 × 3.0– 3.2 mm. Synandrium 3.6–4.1 cm long, exserted up to 2 cm; filament tube 3.2–3.6 cm long, glabrescent; anther tube 4–5 mm long, sparsely puberulous at sutures, apex evenly villous, including the ebarbate ventral anthers. Berries subglobose, 2–3 × 1.5–2.6 cm, glabrous, greenish.

Phenology: — Burmeistera longifolia has been collected with flowers and fruits in February, March, April, July, September and December.

Distribution, ecology and conservation status: — Burmeistera longifolia is restricted to few localities of the northern ridges of the Western and Central cordilleras of Colombia, in the departments of Antioquia and Córdoba, at elevations between 1700 and 2700 m. Following the IUCN´s (2022) criteria [B1(EOO) and B2(AOO), conditions (a) and (b), and C2(a)(i)], B. longifolia qualifies as Critically Endangered.

Note: — Burmeistera longifolia is similar to B. betancurii (see distinctive traits under the latter).

Additional specimens examined:— Antioquia. Guatapé , vereda Santa Rita, 1850 m, 6 Dec 1984 (fl, fr), L . Albert et al. 4935 ( HUA); Guatapé , vereda Santa Rita, 1850 m, 14 Mar 1985 (fl, fr), L . Albert et al. 4974 ( HUA); Guatapé , vereda Santa Rita, 1850 m, 25 Apr 1985 (fl, fr), L . Albert et al. 5078 ( HUA); Frontino , 2 km adelante del aeropuerto, 1700 m, 9 Jul 1984 (fl, fr), G . Lozano et al. 3956 ( COL); Frontino, km 17 of road Nutibara-Murrí , 06°45´N, 76°24´W, 1750 m, 24 Sep 1987 (fl, fr), J . Zarucchi et al. 5727 ( HUA) .

Figures

FIGURE 13. A–D. Burmeistera hippobromoides (Gentry et al. 40746, type), leaf (A), leaf margin (B), flower at preanthesis (B), and anthesis (D). E. B. loejtnantii (Ramírez 10077), leaves and flowers. F–G. B. longifolia (Pennell 4399, type), leaf (F) and flower (G). Scale bars: 5 mm in A, D–G; 1 mm in B; 2 mm in C.

FIGURE 14. Distribution of Burmeistera hippobromoides, B. ibaguensis, B. kalbreyeri, B. killipii, B. loejtnantii, B. longifolia, B. luteynii and B. marginata.