2025/08/21 by John L. Clark, DAVID LOZANO-CIFUENTES, JORGE ENRIQUE RIOS-CERVERA +2 · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Plant Diversity and Evolution #Plant Parasitism and Resistance #Plant and Fungal Species Descriptions
paper · doi:10.3897/phytokeys.261.160135
openalex publication_date 2025/08/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02
Two new species of Columnea are described based on recent field expeditions and herbarium research. These species are unusual within Columnea for exhibiting a dorsiventral epiphytic habit typical of many northern Andean species, but they lack conspicuous floral bracts. Columnea combeimae Lozano-Cif., J.E.Ríos & J.L.Clark, sp. nov. is distinguished by uniformly green leaves, prominent extrafloral nectary glands on the pedicels, and a hirsute indumentum of purple trichomes. Columnea rubropilosa J.L.Clark & Clavijo, sp. nov. is characterized by a conic purple berry and a densely pilose indumentum of red trichomes on both vegetative and reproductive structures. Both species are endemic to the Colombian Andes.