Burmeistera tomentosula H.Karst. & Triana, Linnaea

González, Favio, 2023, Taxonomic revision of Burmeistera (Campanulaceae-Lobelioideae) in Colombia, Phytotaxa 615 (1), pp. 1-113 : 93-95

52. Burmeistera tomentosula H.Karst. & Triana, Linnaea 28: 445. 1856.

Type :— COLOMBIA. Quindío: “Crescit in Monte Quindiu”, 2000 m, Feb 1853 (fl), J. J. Triana 3069.1/4 (holotype: BM! [ BM000947545 ]). Figs. 25 , 27A–D .

Burmeistera tambensis E.Wimm., Pflanzenr. IV. 276b: 155. 1943, syn. nov. Type:— COLOMBIA. Cauca: “ Ad pagum El Tambo , La Costa in silva primaeva, 1000 m, 24 Jun 1934 (fl, fr), K. von Sneidern 741 (holotype: S! [ S04-901 ]) .

Upright, terrestrial herbs or shrubs up to 2 m. Stem terete, puberulous, with light yellow indumentum especially on the young portions. Petiole (1.5–)2.0–6.0 cm long, glabrescent to puberulous; blade narrowly obovate to elliptic, (7–)10–20 × (3.5) 5.0–9.0 cm, glabrescent above, puberulous especially along the veins beneath, base cuneate, slightly asymmetric, apex obtuse, acute or shortly acuminate, margin subentire to slightly crenate especially on the distal half of the blade, hydathodes 15 to 40 per side, marginal to sometimes extramarginal, secondary veins 9 to 14 per side, higher order venation reticulate, intramarginal vein present, discontinuous. Flowers densely arranged at the distal portion of the branches, each subtended by a bracteiform leaf up to 1–2 × 0.4–0.8 cm. Peduncle 3.0– 5.5 cm long, fistulose, scarious (light brown in siccus), articulated at its junction with the hypanthium, glabrescent to puberulous, ebracteolate, sometimes recaulescent by 1–2 mm with the bracteiform subtending leaf. Hypanthium subglobose to globose, 4–7 × 4–6 mm, puberulous. Calyx lobes ovate (length:width ratio 2:1 to 3:1), 10–14 × 3.5–4.5 mm, puberulous (with yellowish pubescence), ascending in pre-anthesis, later patent to reflexed, basally contiguous, margin with 3 or 4 teeth per side. Corolla green, densely puberulous; tube 8–14 mm long, 2–3 mm in diameter at its mid-level, inflated proximally and distally; lobes narrowly ovate, falcate, apex acute to acuminate; dorsal lobes 10–13 × 3–6 mm, lateral lobes 6.0–10.5 × 3–5 mm, ventral lobe 3–5 × 2–3 mm. Synandrium 1.6–2.5 cm long, exserted up to 12 mm; filament tube 1.4–2.0 cm long, glabrescent to puberulous at its distal two-thirds; anther tube 2–5 mm long, evenly puberulous including the apex of the ebarbate ventral anthers. Berries subglobose to pyriform, 1.5–3.0 × 1.5–2.5 cm, inflated, puberulous, pink or orange.

Phenology: — Burmeistera tomentosula sets flowers from February to September, and in November and December.

Distribution, ecology and conservation status: — Burmeistera tomentosula is restricted to Colombia, where it grows in cloud Andean forests at elevations between 650 and 2500 m, primarily along the western flanks of the Andes of the departments of Cauca, Nariño and Valle del Cauca, with a disjunct record (the type locality) in the Central Cordillera (department of Quindío). 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 tomentosula is similar to B. pomifera (see distinctive traits under the latter).

A careful comparison of the type specimens and the original descriptions of Burmeistera tomentosula and B. tambensis shows strong correspondence of all their diagnostic traits. Furthermore, they occupy the same area in the Western and the Central cordilleras. Thus, the latter is here reduced to the synonymy.

Additional specimens examined:— Cauca. West slope of Cordillera Occidental, PNN Munchique, km 42 to km 58 of Uribe-La Gallera road, c. 2°38´N, 76°54´W, 2000‒2500 m, 27 Mar 1986 (fr), B. Stein 3778, 3779 ( COL). Nariño. Barbacoas , Reserva Natural Río Ñambí, 1°19´N, 78°05´W, 1300 m, 9 Aug 1992 (fl, fr), J. Arias 127 ( PSO) ; Barbacoas , corregimiento de Junín, 7 Apr 1978 (fl, fr), O. de Benavides 1323 ( PSO) ; Ricaurte , localidad Cartagena, 1500 m, 15 Sep 1978 (fl, fr), O. de Benavides 1529 ( PSO) ; de Sandoná-carretera a Consacá , 1800 m, 15 Jun 1980 (fl, fr), O. de Benavides 2452 ( PSO) ; Ricaurte , Hda. La Planada, 2 Nov 1982 (fl), O. de Benavides 4056 ( PSO) ; Barbacoas , El Mirador-Cuyambé, 1400 m, 5 Dec 1986 (fl, fr), O. de Benavides 7537 ( PSO) ; Barbacoas , km 3 vía Junín-Barbacoas, 1200 m, 6 Jul 1987, O. de Benavides 8127 ( PSO) ; Ricaurte , trayecto San Isidro-La Planada, 1°10´N, 77°58´W, 1500‒1800 m, 13 Feb 1988 (fl, fr), O. de Benavides 9226 ( PSO) ; Reserva Natural La Planada , Isla de los Osos, 1°10´N, 77°58´W, 1500‒1800 m, 1 May 1988 (fl), O. de Benavides 9723 ( PSO) ; Barbacoas , Altaquer, Nembí, 1300 m, 16 Jun 1988 (fl, fr), O. de Benavides 9951 ( PSO) ; Barbacoas , Altaquer , vereda El Barro, Reserva Natural Río Ñambí, margen derecha del río Ñambí, 1325 m, 1°18´N, 78°08´W, 6 Dec 1993 (fl), P. Franco et al. 4983, 4987 ( COL) ; Barbacoas , Altaquer , vereda El Barro, Reserva Río Ñambí, margen derecha del río Ñambí, 1325 m, 1°18´N, 78°08´W, 7 Dec 1993 (fl), P. Franco et al. 5035 ( COL) ; Tumaco-Túquerres road, W of Junín, 900 m, 25 Nov 1981 (fl), A. Gentry 34961 ( COL) ; Junín-Barbacoas road, 2‒10 km N of Junín, 1°30´N, 78°10´W, 900‒1000 m, 26 Jul 1986 (fl, fr), A. Gentry et al. 55297 ( PSO), 55298 ( PSO) ; Ricaurte , Resguardo Indígena de Gualcalá, entre Santa Fé y Ñambí , 1°19´N, 77°55´W, 1100 m, 17 Dec 1995, M. González et al. 1412, 1417 ( PSO) ; Altaquer , margen derecha de la carretera hacia Tumaco, 1130 m, 20 Feb 1968 (fl, fr), G. López 247 ( PSO) ; Barbacoas , km 5 carretera Junín-Barbacoas, 1150 m, 8–9 Mar 1994 (fl), G. Lozano et al. 6856 ( COL) ; Ricaurte , Reserva Natural La Planada, 2 May 1994 (fl), H. Mendoza 648 ( PSO) ; Barbacoas , corregimiento Ortíz y Zamora, vereda El Barro, Reserva Natural Río Ñambí, ca. 5 km W de Altaquer, faldas occidentales de la Cordillera Occidental, 1°18´N, 78°08´W, 1250‒1350 m, 10 Sep 1997 (fl), J. Pipoly et al. 21546 ( PSO) ; Barbacoas , corregimiento Ortíz y Zamora, vereda El Barro, Reserva Natural Río Ñambí, ca. 5 km W de Altaquer, faldas occidentales de la Cordillera Occidental, 1°18´N, 78°08´W, 1250‒1350 m, 10 Sep 1997 (fl), J. Pipoly et al. 21648 ( PSO) ; Barbacoas , finca Peñalisa, km 4 vía Junín-Barbacoas, 01°26´13´´N, 78°07´33´´W, 650 m, J. Posada 38 ( COL) ; Barbacoas , Junín, vía Pasto-Tumaco, 1180 m, 8 Nov 1984 (fl, fr), B. Ramírez 200 ( PSO) ; Barbacoas , trayecto Junín-El Diviso, 850 m, 14 Apr 1989 (fl, fr), B. Ramírez 1351 ( PSO). Valle del Cauca. Km 89 carretera Cali-Buenaventura, 9 Aug 1955 (fl, fr), J. Idrobo et al. 1734 ( COL) ; Queremal , campamento Tokio (Telecom towers), ca. 9 km W of Queremal, ca. 3°30´N, 76°42´W, 2000‒2100 m, 21 Apr 1989 (fl, fr), J. L. Luteyn et al. 12593 ( CUVC, NY).

Figures

FIGURE 25. Distribution of Burmeistera succulenta, B. sylvicola and B. tomentosula.

FIGURE 27. A–D. Burmeistera tomentosula (Luteyn et al. 12593), leaf (A), leaf margin (B), flower (C), and berry (D). E–H. B. variabilis (E–G, Pennell 10734, type; H, Luteyn 12594), leaf (E), leaf margin (F), flower (G), and berry (H). I–L. B. venezuelensis (Mendoza et al. 17709), leaf (I), leaf margin (J), flower (K), and berry (L). Scale bars: 1 cm in A, E, I; 2 mm in B, F, J, L; 5 mm in C, D, G, H, K.