A A new species of Columnea (Gesneriaceae) from the Central Cordillera in the Northern Andes (Colombia)

Mario Alexei Sierra-Ariza; Nicolas Parra-Lizcano; Carlos A. Solano‑C

doi:10.14522/darwiniana.2025.132.1312

Authors

Mario Alexei Sierra-Ariza Universidad del Tolima, Jardín Botánico Alejandro von Humboldt, Cl. 42 #1, Ibagué, Colombia; Universidad del Tolima, Departamento Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Maestría en Ciencias Biológicas, Cl. 42 #1, Ibagué, Colombia; Fundación Ecotonos, Grupo de Investigación Schultes, Carrera 72 #13ª-56, Cali, Colombia; mrsierraariza80@gmail.com (author for correspondence). https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5148-0871
Nicolas Parra-Lizcano Universidad del Tolima, GIBDET, Research Group on Biodiversity and Dynamics of Tropical Ecosystems, Cl. 42 #1, Ibagué, Tolima, Colombia. https://orcid.org/0009-0008-9114-2878
Carlos A. Solano‑C Herbario Forestal (UDBC), Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Carrera 5 E No. 15-82, Bogotá, Colombia; Semillero de investigación en Diversidad Forestal (DIFI), Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas,Carrera 5 E No. 15-82, Bogotá, Colombia. https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0913-3107

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14522/darwiniana.2025.132.1312

Keywords:

Palabras clave. Andes; Colombia; Cordillera Central; Gesnerioideae; taxonomía.

Abstract

A new species of Columnea, endemic to the Colombian Andes and discovered in very humid montane forests of the Central Cordillera, is described and illustrated. Columnea cumanday Solano-C., Parra-Lizc. & Sierra-Ariza is distinguished by its lanceolate bracts and calyx lobes with a laciniate margin, each lacinia bearing a green gland (when fresh) at the apex. Both structures are covered with a dense hirsute indumentum of red‑purple trichomes. The corolla is uniformly purple, with the outer surface densely covered with transparent, multicellular, glandular trichomes. The species bears four glandular nectaries: one dorsal nectary, bilobed to trilobed, and three deltoid ones. The berry is orange‑red, ovate to rounded, villose, and covered with purple‑red multicellular trichomes. Discuss and compare their differences with morphologically similar species, and a preliminary conservation status is proposed according to the IUCN Red List criteria.

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