27. Burmeistera loejtnantii Jeppesen, Flora of Ecuador 14: 23. 1981.

Type:— ECUADOR. Carchi: Valle de Maldonado, km 53 on Tulcan-Maldonado road, 3150‒3250 m, 19 May 1973 (fl, fr), L. Holm-Nielsen, S. Jeppesen, B. LØjtnant & B. Øllgaard 5838 (holotype: AAU [not seen]; isotypes: K! [K000250829], NY! [NY00467997], S! [S05-1904]). Figs. 13E, 14 .

Upright to reclinate herbs up up to 80 cm tall. Stem glabrescent to puberulous but not strigose. Petiole 3–8 mm long, glabrescent to slightly strigose; blade ovate to elliptic, 2–5(–6) × 1.5–3.5 cm, not bullate, glabrous above, puberulous beneath, base rounded to subcordate, apex acute to acuminate, margin subentire to serrulate, hydathodes intramarginal, secondary veins 5 to 8 per side, conspicuous, higher order veins markedly reticulate especially on the abaxial surface, intramarginal vein lacking. Peduncle 1.5–1.8 cm long, glabrous, ebracteolate. Hypanthium obconic, 5–8 × 2–5 mm, glabrous. Calyx lobes narrowly ovate to ovate, 5–9(– 12 in fruit) × 1–4 mm, ascending, glabrous, basally spaced by sinuses 1.0– 1.5 mm wide, margin entire, apex acute. Corolla yellowish-green, glabrous; tube 1.0– 1.6 cm long, 2–3 mm diameter at its mid- and distal portions, inflated proximally; lobes narrowly ovate, strongly falcate, apex obtuse, dorsal lobes 8–10 × 3–4 mm, lateral lobes 7–8 × 3–4 mm, ventral lobe 6–7 × 2.5–3.5 mm. Synandrium 2.1–2.6 cm long, exserted up to 1.4 cm; filament tube 1.7–2.0 cm long, smooth, glabrous; anther tube 4–6 mm long, smooth, glabrous, ventral anthers barbate during preanthesis and early anthesis, later ebarbate. Berries globose to oblate, 1.3–1.5 × 1.4–1.6 cm, inflated, glabrous, white or purple.

Phenology: — Burmeistera loejtnantii sets flowers and fruits from January to November.

Distribution, ecology and conservation status: — Burmeistera loejtnantii occurs in southern Colombia (departments of Nariño and Putumayo) and Ecuador. In Colombia, the species occurs in cloud, sub-Andean forests to páramos at elevations between 1860 and 3300 m. Following the IUCN (2022) Guidelines, this species qualifies for the Near Threatened (NT) category.

Note: —This species is closely related to B. killipii, endemic from the department of Cauca, Colombia (see distinguishing traits under the latter).

Additional specimens examined:— Nariño. Lado sur de La Cicha, quebrada Santa Lucía, 2850 m, 8 Jan 1941 (fl, fr), J. Cuatrecasas 11849 (COL) ; Puerres, cerca de la estación de rebombeo de Ecopetrol, 2900‒3200 m, 1–3 Mar 2011 (fl, fr), J. Garzón et al. 507 (COL) ; Ipiales, alrededores de La Victoria, 2980 m, 25 Apr 2009 (fl, fr), F. González 4343 (COL) ; Ipiales, carretera entre La Victoria y el Río San Francisco, 3100 m, 5 Sep 1972 (fr), E. Hernández et al. 280 (PSO). Pasto, corr. El Encano, sur de La Cocha, vereda La Joya, quebrada La Hondita, 0°58´N, 77°08¨ W, 2750 m, 26 Jul 1996 (fl, fr), B. Ramírez 9925 (PSO) ; Pasto, corr. El Encano, sur de La Cocha, vereda La Joya, quebrada Saraconcho, 0°58´N, 77°07¨ W, 2740 m, 7 Sep 1996 (fl, fr), B. Ramírez 10077 (PSO) ; Puerres, El Rosal, via a Monopamba, 0°52´N, 77°22´W, 3300 m, 19 Jan 1999 (fr), B. Ramírez 11960 (PSO); Reserva Natural La Planada, Ricaurte, vereda San Isidro, 01°09´25.7´´N, 77°58´46.8´´W, 1861 m, 18 Aug 2017 (fl), D. Sanín et al. 7078 (COL). Putumayo. San Francisco, km 83 margen derecha de la carretera a Mocoa, 2890 m, 18 Nov 1971 (fr), G. López et al. 464 (PSO, NY).