Burmeistera boyacensis F.González & Garzón, Phytotaxa, 2020

González, Favio, 2023, Taxonomic revision of Burmeistera (Campanulaceae-Lobelioideae) in Colombia, Phytotaxa 615 (1), pp. 1-113 : 24

7. Burmeistera boyacensis F.González & Garzón, Phytotaxa 474 (2): 157. 2020.

Type:— COLOMBIA. Boyacá: Socotá, Parque Nacional Natural del Páramo de Pisba , carretera Socha-Sácama , 2710 m, 2 Nov 1987 (fl), C. Orozco, F. González et al. 1945 (holotype: COL! [ COL000115689 ]). Fig. 5D–F , 6 .

Terrestrial subshrubs up to 1.8 m tall. Stem tomentose especially when young. Petiole 0.8‒1.1 cm long; blade elliptic, 10‒12 × 3.8‒4.6 cm, glabrous above, tomentose especially along the veins beneath, base cuneate, symmetric, apex shortly acuminate, margin finely serrulate especially along its distal half, with 12‒16 hydathodes per side (ca. 2 per cm), secondary veins 6 to 9 per side, intramarginal vein lacking. Peduncle 8‒11 cm long, glabrous, with two suprabasal bracteoles, these filiform, up to 6.0 × 0.5 mm, tomentose, caducous. Hypanthium urceolate, 9‒12 × 5‒7 mm, glabrous. Calyx lobes very narrowly ovate, 9‒12 × 1.0‒ 1.5 mm, ascending, tomentose, basally contiguous, margin with three to four teeth per side. Corolla green, glabrous; tube 1.7‒2.1 cm long, 1.5‒3.0 mm in diameter at its mid-level, strongly inflated distally up to 4‒5 mm in diameter; lobes narrowly ovate, strongly falcate, dorsal lobes 14‒15 × 4.0‒ 4.5 mm, lateral lobes 11‒12 × 3.5‒4.2 mm, ventral lobe 7‒9 × 3‒4 mm. Synandrium 3.0‒ 3.7 cm long, exserted up to 1 cm; filament tube 2.5‒3.0 cm long, tomentose; anther tube 5‒7 mm long, tomentose, ventral anthers barbate at preanthesis, later ebarbate. Berries (immature) globose, ca. 1 × 1 cm; mature berries unknown.

Phenology: —The species has been collected in flower in August and November, and with fruits in August.

Distribution, ecology and conservation status: — Burmeistera boyacensis is known only from two collections at both flanks of the Colombian Eastern Cordillera, in the department of Boyacá. It is locally rare, at the edges of primary Andean forests, between 2100 and 2710 meters above sea level. 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:—Among the species with bracteolate peduncles, Burmeistera boyacensis is most similar to B. orientalis , from an area not far from the type locality of the former, in the boundary between the departments of Boyacá and Santander. However, B. boyacensis stands as a distinct species by the petiole 0.8‒1.1 cm long; the blade elliptic, 10‒12 × 3.8‒4.6 cm, with 6 to 9 secondary veins per side, these not connected by an intramarginal vein, and the apex shortly acuminate; the peduncle and hypanthium glabrous; the calyx lobes 9‒12 × 1.0‒ 1.5 mm, ascending; the corolla glabrous, with a tube 1.5‒3.0 mm in diameter at its mid-level and inflated distally up to 4‒5 mm in diameter, the dorsal lobes 14‒15 mm long, the lateral lobes 11‒12 mm long, and the ventral lobe 7‒9 mm long; and the synandrium exserted up to 1 cm, with a tomentose filament tube. In contrast, B. orientalis possesses shorter (1‒8 mm long) petioles; obovate blades, 4.0‒9.0(‒10.5) × 2.0‒ 4.8 cm, with 5 to 7 secondary veins per side, these connected by an intramarginal vein; peduncle and hypanthium sparsely puberulous; calyx lobes 5‒8 × 2‒3 mm, patent; corolla glabrous to sparsely puberulous, with a tube 3‒4 mm in diameter at its mid-level, slightly inflated basally and distally, dorsal lobes 10‒12 mm long, lateral lobes 5‒7 mm long, and ventral lobe 6‒7 mm long; and a synandrium exserted up to 1.5 cm, with a glabrous filament tube.

Additional specimen examined:— Boyacá. La Victoria: “State of Boyaca, Alto Chapon , 100 km NW of Bogota, 7000 ft, 9 Aug 1932 (fl, fr), A. Lawrence 411 ( A) .

Figures

FIGURE 5. A–C. Burmeistera borjensis (Lozano 3319), leaf (A), leaf margin (B), and flower (C). D–F. B. boyacensis (D, Lawrence 411, paratype; E, F. Orozco et al. 1945, holotype), flowering branch (D), leaf margin (E), and flower at preanthesis (F). G–I. B. breviflora (Luteyn et al. 11982), leaf (G), leaf margin (H), and flower (I). Scale bars: 1 cm in A, D, G; 1 mm in B; 5 mm in C, E, F, H, I.

FIGURE 6. Distribution of Burmeistera borjensis, B. boyacensis, B. breviflora, B. bullatifolia, B. caldasensis and B. ceratocarpa.