54. Burmeistera venezuelensis Lammers, Brittonia 50(2): 260. 1998.

Type:— VENEZUELA. Táchira: Distr. Junín/ Córdoba, Parque Nacional El Tamá, cabeceras del río Quinimarí, Cerro de las Copas, peñas de la vertiente septentrional, bosque nublado y enano bajo del páramo de Tamá, creciendo sobre rocas, 29 Dec 1983 (fl, fr), J. Pipoly 6596 (holotype: F! [F0052918 F]; isotypes: MER [not seen], MO! [MO-797399], NY! [NY00233176], VEN [not seen]). Figs. 27I–L, 28 .

Terrestrial herbs or shrubs up to 1.5 m tall. Stem densely hirsute. Petiole 3.5–7.5 cm, hirsute; blade ovate to elliptic, (6–)8–10(–13) × (3.5–)5.0–6.0(–7.5) cm, slightly bullate, hirsute above, hirsute especially along the veins beneath, base obtuse to rounded, usually asymmetric, apex acute to shortly acuminate, margin dentate, with 20 to 55 teeth of two-classes size per side, each ending in an extramarginal hydathode, secondary veins 11 to 14 per side, higher order venation inconspicuous, intramarginal vein lacking. Peduncle 8.0–10.0(–13.5) cm long, sparsely hirsute, with two basal filiform bracteoles up to 20 × 1 mm each, these hirsute. Hypanthium urceolate, 9–11 × 9–15 mm, glabrescent. Calyx lobes lanceolate, 15–18 × 2.5–4.0 mm, patent to reflexed, basally contiguous, margin densely hirsute and with 5 to 7 short fimbriae per side, apex acuminate. Corolla yellowish-green, glabrous; tube 11–13 mm long, 2–3 mm diameter at its mid-level, slightly inflated proximally and distally; lobes lanceolate, slightly falcate, apex acute, dorsal lobes 22–25 × 3–5 mm, lateral lobes 16–19 × 3–5 mm, ventral lobe 14–15 × 3–5 mm. Synandrium 3.4–3.8 cm long, exserted up to 14 mm; filament tube 2.8–2.9 cm long, glabrous; anther tube 6–9 mm long, sparsely covered with minute trichomes, ventral anthers barbate, with an apical tuft of woolly, white trichomes. Berries urceolate, 2.0–2.5 × 2.5–3.0 cm, light green, hirsute or glabrescent.

Phenology: — Burmeistera venezuelensis has been collected with flowers and fruits in February and December.

Distribution, ecology and conservation status: — Burmeistera venezuelensis has been collected twice, once in the Venezuelan slopes of the Cerro de Tamá (the type locality) and once in the Colombian ridges of the same massif, in the Tamá Natural National Park municipality of Toledo (Norte de Santander), at 2800 m of elevation. 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 venezuelensis differs from the remaining species with bracteolate peduncle (namely, B. boyacensis, B. bullatifolia, B. caldasensis, B. formosa, B. mutisiana, B. nigropilosa, B. orientalis and B. variabilis) by its stems, leaves, peduncle, calyx and berries hirsute, its bracteoles up to 20 mm long, and its distribution restricted to northern ridges of the Eastern Cordillera (versus the stems, leaves, peduncle, calyx and berries tomentose, villous, puberulous, hirtellous, glabrous, or glabrescent, and the bracteoles <1 cm long in the remaining species, which are primarily distributed in the Western and the Central cordilleras).

Additional specimen examined:— Norte de Santander. Toledo, PNN Tamá, 2800 m, 1 Feb 2012 (fl, fr), H . Mendoza et al. 17709 (COL) .