Columnea rubropilosa J. L. Clark & Clavijo, 2025

Clark, John L., Lozano-Cifuentes, David, Ríos-Cervera, Jorge, Clavijo, Laura & Ballesteros, Sofía, 2025, Two new species of Columnea (Gesneriaceae) from the Colombian Andes, PhytoKeys 261, pp. 317-328 : 317-328

Columnea rubropilosa J. L. Clark & Clavijo sp. nov.

Fig. 3

Type.

Colombia • Antioquia: municipio Jardin, vereda Macayas, eastern slopes of the Cordillera Occidental, Reserva biológica El Centello (Jardin Botánico Medellín), camino la Risaralda , 2443 m, 5°30'8.69"N, 75°51'0.59"W, 8 Aug 2024 (fl. & fr.), J. L. Clark, Á. Idárraga, S. Ballesteros, N. Salinas & L. Clavijo 19235 (holotype: COL!; isotypes: SEL, MO, NY) .

Diagnosis.

Columnea rubropilosa and C. purpurata share a dorsiventral epiphytic habit, elongate tubular corollas, and fimbriate calyx margins. Columnea rubropilosa differs by a conic purple berry (vs. globose orange berry in C. purpurata ) and a pilose indumentum of red trichomes on vegetative and reproductive structures (vs. a pilose indumentum of white trichomes on vegetative and reproductive structures in C. purpurata ).

Description.

Facultative epiphytic herbs with dorsiventral shoots; stems scandent, branched, up to 50 cm long, terete in cross-section, 1.9–5.2 mm diameter, herbaceous to subwoody, maroon, surface rugose, uniformly pilose at the base and densely pilose toward the apex, trichomes dark red-colored, branched, up to 3.0– 3.5 mm long; internodes 1.7–4.0 cm long. Leaves opposite, anisophyllous; larger blade with petiole 0.9–1.8 cm long, terete, densely pilose, covered by branched, multicellular, and dark red trichomes, up to 3.0– 3.5 mm long; blade broadly lanceolate to oblong, 8.0–16.0 × 2.0–4.0 cm, rigid and nearly sclerophyllous, dark green adaxially, light green abaxially with the margin, main, and lateral veins dark red, apex acuminate, base oblique, margin serrulate to serrate, pilose on both surfaces with multicellular, branched, dark red trichomes, 6–7 pairs of main lateral veins, densely pilose; smaller blade highly reduced and often caducous, petiole 0.3–0.7 mm long; linear to lanceolate, 0.6–1.2 × 0.1–0.3 cm, lateral veins 1–3 pairs per side. Inflorescence reduced to 1–3 axillary flowers in a cluster; peduncle absent; bracts 4.7–7.7 × 1.7–2.7 mm, purplish, lanceolate, apex acuminate, base truncate, margin entire, pilose adaxially, glabrous abaxially. Flowers with erect pedicels, 2.5–2.7 mm long, purple, covered by multicellular, branched, dark red trichomes. Calyx uniformly dark red, 12.0–14.0 × 6.0–10.0 mm, persistent in fruit, mid and lateral veins not evident, calyx lobes 5, fused basally for 2.9–3.9 mm, lanceolate, apex attenuate, base truncate, margin laciniate, glabrous adaxially, densely pilose abaxially with dark red and branched multicellular trichomes. Corolla tubular, 3.0– 3.8 cm long, tube erect relative to calyx, 8.4–9.6 mm wide at the middle, outer surface yellow and densely pilose with gold-branched trichomes, inner surface yellow and glabrous, corolla bases 4.0–6.0 mm wide, nectary chamber 4.0–7.0 × 3.0–5.0 mm, throat 5.0– 6.2 mm diam., corolla lobes 5, 5.0–7.0 × 3.0–5.0 mm, yellow, straight, oblong, apex rounded, margin entire, densely pilose abaxially, with gold, multicellular trichomes, extending from the corolla lobes. Androecium of 4 didynamous stamens, filaments 18.0–23.0 mm long, adnate to the corolla tube for 8.0–10.0 mm, glabrous, staminode absent; anthers oblong, coherent, dehiscence by longitudinal slits, 1.4–1.6 × 2.2–2.6 mm. Gynoecium with a single dorsal trilobed nectary gland, ca. 3 mm long, glabrous, the middle lobe shorter than the lateral lobes; ovary superior, ca. 4.8 × 3.1 mm, dark yellow, ovate, pilose; style included, ca. 26 mm long, glabrous; stigma bilobed. Fruit an indehiscent berry, ca. 17.0 × 13.0 mm, conic, purple with red spots toward the apex, pilose with translucid trichomes.

Additional specimens examined.

Colombia – Antioquia. • Medellín: corregimiento San Antonio de Prado, Reserva asociada a cuencas, Astilleros, sendero principal cerca a Piedra Galeana , 6.2564109N, 75.5937099W, 2600 m, 10 Jan 2025 (fl.), Y. Gallego-Franco et al. 795 ( JAUM) ; • Municipio Medellín, corregimiento Palmitas, vereda La Volcana, trail following Quebrada Volcana, Cordillera Central , 6°20'34"N, 75°40'48"W, 2044 m, 11 May 2012 (fl.), J. L. Clark, J. Anderson, L. Clavijo, Á. Idarraga & D. Suescún 12864 ( COL, SEL) ; • Municipio Caldas, vereda La Clara, headwaters of Río Medellín, trail to Alto de San Miguel, Cordillera Central , 6°1'49"N, 75°36'45"W, 1990 m, 12 May 2012 (fl.), J. L. Clark, J. Anderson, L. Clavijo & Á. Idarraga 12877 ( COL, NY, SEL, US) ; • Municipio Medellín, municipio Envigado, Cordillera Central, camino La Catedral – Chorro de las Campanas, Valle La Miel , 6°7'29"N, 75°35'11"W, 2184 m, 15 May 2012 (fl.), J. L. Clark, J. Anderson & T. Hinestroza 12290 ( COL, SEL, US) .

Phenology.

Plants were observed flowering in January, May, and August, and fruiting in August.

Etymology.

The specific epithet rubropilosa is derived from the Latin words ruber meaning “ red ” and pilosus meaning “ hairy, ” in reference to the conspicuous pilose indumentum of reddish trichomes that characterize the vegetative and reproductive structures of the species.

Distribution and preliminary IUCN red list assessment.

Columnea rubropilosa is endemic to Colombia and common throughout the Cordillera Central and eastern slopes of the Cordillera Occidental. It is located in the following protected areas: Reserva biológica El Centello managed by the Jardin Botánico Medellín and the Reserva Volcana Miserenga. There are more than 30 observations of Columnea rubropilosa on iNaturalist and most of these observations were posted during the last four years. It is especially abundant in the Cordillera Central south of Medellín where it appears to grow in shaded areas of secondary forest. Collections and observations from iNaturalist were used to calculate the AOO and EOO. Its extent of occurrence (EOO) is estimated at 26,975.116 km 2, and its area of occupancy (AOO) is estimated at 96 km 2. Given that it grows in shaded areas of secondary forest and its relative abundance from recent observations on iNaturalist, Columnea rubropilosa is preliminary assessed as Least Concern (LC).

Comments.

Columnea rubropilosa is frequently observed on iNaturalist but identified as Columnea purpurata . Both species have conspicuous flowers, but with highly reduced floral bracts. In C. rubropilosa , the opposite leaves are anisophyllous (Fig. 3 A ), with the smaller leaf highly reduced and often caducous, resulting in phyllotaxy that appears alternate. In contrast, although the smaller leaf in C. purpurata is also reduced, it remains conspicuous, and the opposite leaf pairs are more readily apparent. The leaf blades of C. rubropilosa are stiff and nearly sclerophyllous, in contrast to the chartaceous leaves of C. purpurata . The calyx margins of C. purpurata are deeply fimbriate (Fig. 4 D ), whereas those of C. rubropilosa (Fig. 3 D ) are laciniate. Fruit color also differs: the berries in C. rubropilosa are purple (Fig. 3 D ) and orange in C. purpurata (Fig. 4 D ).

Columnea rubropilosa is one of the few known species of Columnea with a purple berry (Fig. 3 D ). The only other known species of Columnea with a purple berry is Columnea conopurpurea J. L. Clark, Y Rambos-Arias & J. L. Peña , which differs by an elongate-shaped berry. In contrast, the purple berry of C. rubropilosa is conic (Fig. 3 D ).

Figures

Figure 3. Columnea rubropilosa J. L. Clark & Clavijo. A. Habit with inset featuring densely pilose indumentum; B. Abaxial and adaxial leaf surfaces; C. Lateral view of flower with inset featuring bilobed nectary gland; D. Fruit (A – D. from J. L. Clark et al. 19325). Photos by John L. Clark.

Figure 4. Columnea purpurata Hanst. A. Habit; B. Adaxial surface of shoot featuring anisophyllous leaves; C. Lateral view of flower; D. Fruit (A – D. from J. L. Clark et al. 12671). Photos by John L. Clark.