1. Burmeistera aeribacca E.Wimm., Brittonia 8: 108. 1955.

Type:— COLOMBIA. Cundinamarca: Cordillera Oriental, Caraucha Range, east of Ibama, 13 km east of Yacopí, near the Boyacá border, 2290 m, 8 May 1944 (fl), M. L. Grant 9153 (holotype: MICH! [MICH1111455]; isotypes: US! [00146930], WIS! [WIS0256491]). Figs. 2A–D, 3.

Epiphytic subshrubs up to 2 m tall. Stem glabrous. Petiole 5‒15 mm long, glabrous; blade ovate to elliptic, 5‒12 × 1.8‒5.0 cm, glabrous above and beneath, base rounded to obtuse, slightly asymmetric, apex acuminate, margin entire to loosely toothed, hydathodes marginal, secondary veins 6 to 9 per side, intramarginal vein lacking. Peduncle 4.5–6 cm long, glabrous, ebracteolate. Hypanthium urceolate, 7‒9 × 4‒6 mm, glabrous. Calyx lobes broadly ovate, 1‒3 × 0.5‒2.0 mm, ascending, glabrous, basally contiguous, margin entire, apex obtuse. Corolla uniformly green, glabrous; tube 10‒17 mm long, 2.6‒3.0 mm diameter at its mid-level, inflated proximally and distally; lobes narrowly ovate, falcate, apex acute, dorsal lobes 12‒14 × 2‒3 mm, lateral lobes 8‒10 × 1.5‒2.0 mm, ventral lobe 5‒7 × 1‒2 mm. Synandrium 3.0‒ 3.1 cm long, exserted up to 1.5 cm; filament tube 2.3‒2.4 cm long, puberulous; anther tube 6‒7 mm long, glabrous, apex uniformly ciliate, ventral anthers ebarbate. Berries ellipsoid to subglobose, 3.0–4.5 × 1.5–3.0 cm, inflated, glabrous, luteo-greenish to pinkish.

Phenology: —The species sets flowers and fruits in January, February, April to July, September and October.

Distribution, ecology and conservation status: — Burmeistera aeribacca is endemic to Colombia. The species occurs in cloud forests of the Eastern Cordillera, in the departments of Cundinamarca and Santander, and the Central Cordillera, in the departments of Antioquia, Caldas and Tolima, at elevations between 1200 and 3100 m. Following the IUCN (2022) Guidelines, this species qualifies for the Near Threatened (NT) category.

Notes: — Burmeistera aeribacca is similar to B. kalbreyeri, from which it differs by its leaf blades glabrous beneath, with 6 to 9 secondary veins per side and acuminate apex, calyx lobes broadly ovate, 1‒3 × 0.5‒2.0 mm, ventral anthers ebarbate all the way through, and berries 3.0‒4.5 × 1.5‒3.0 cm (versus the leaf blades glabrescent or sometimes sparsely puberulous along the major veins beneath, with 8 to 14 secondary veins per side and obtuse to acute apex, calyx lobes ovate, 3–8 × 2.0– 3.5 mm, ventral anthers barbate during preanthesis, and berries 1.6–2.2 × 2.0– 2.5 cm in B. kalbreyeri).

Additional specimens examined:— Antioquia. San Francisco, corregimiento de Aquitania, río Venado, 1200‒ 1350 m, 2 Apr 1992 (fr), R. Fonnegra et al. 4048 (HUA) ; San Luís, El Castrillón, 18 Apr 1981 (fr), C. Loaiza et al. 323 (HUA); Yarumal, Alto de Ventanas, ca. 1‒6 km along road to El Cedro, ca. 22 km N of Yarumal, 1890–2000 m, ca. 7°10´N, 75°28´W, 4–5 Jun 1989 (fl), J. L. Luteyn et al. 13199 (HUA) ; Nariño, bosques de Paramitos, 2100 m, 3 Jan 1949 (fl, fr), L. Uribe 1878 (COL) . Caldas. Samaná, corregimiento Florencia, Parque Nacional Natural Selva de Florencia, camino a Pensilvania, 5°31´N, 75°2´W, 1800–1850 m, 19 Oct 2013 (fl, fr), J. Betancur et al. 18253 (COL); Manizales, Cordillera Central, Monteleón, 2250 m, 8 Sep 1984 (fr), M. de Fraume et al. 270 (COL); Samaná, Florencia, bosques de Florencia, 1800‒2000 m, 28 Jul 1994 (fr), C. Orozco et al. 2904 (COL) . Cundinamarca. Bogotá, Sumapaz, zona 20, X: 0971839, Y: 0933470, 2800–3100 m, 20 Jun 2009 (fl, fr), J. Garzón et al. 43 (COL) . Santander. Vélez, vereda Gaital, Serranía de los Agataes, sector Marilan, 06°05´56.1´´N, 73°39´24.1´´W, 2603 m, 17 Oct 2007 (fr), J. Giraldo et al. 417 (COL) . Tolima. East slopes of Cordillera Central, 11‒13 km west of Fresno on road from Mariquita to Manizales, ca. 5°08´N, 75°10´W, c 2300 m, 22 Feb 1986 (fl, fr), B. Stein 3547 (JAUM) .