Heliotropium romeroi (I.M. Johnst.) J.I.M.Melo, comb. nov. (Figure 1).

Basionym: Tournefortia romeroi I.M. Johnst., J. Arnold Arbor. 37: 294. 1956.

Type:— COLOMBIA. Depto. Nariño, En el Km 86 del ferrocarril, Fumaco, El Diviso, 27 Julio 1952, R. Romero-Castañeda 3317 (holotype: A00096473, image!; isotypes: COL000004066, image!; NY00337253, image!) .

Distribution.— Colombia, Ecuador (Figure 2).

Notes.— Heliotropium romeroi is recorded here for the first time in Ecuador.

Additional examined material.— ECUADOR. Esmeraldas: Quinindé Cantón, The Mache- Chindul Ecologic Reserve, Bilsa Biological Station. Mache Mountains, 35 km W of Quinindé, Premontane wet forest, 00 o 21’, 79 o 44’, 500 m, 18 November 1996, J. L . Clark, F. Gurumendí & H. Weinert 3437 (QCNE128782!) . COLOMBIA. Nariño: Mpio. Tumaco, La Guayacana, Alt. 20-100m, 12 July 1964, D.D. Soejarto 958 (COL, ECON, GH, US2883488, image!) ; Mpio. Tumaco, La Guayacana, 27 June 1951, R . Romero-Castañeda 2837 (F1417576, image!); Mpio. Tumaco, 80 km from Tumaco along road to Pasto (Guayacana), 19 July 1984, M. J . Balick, L.E. Forero, S.R. King & N. Hernández 1667 (MA 400047, image!; MO, 3531270!) .