Burmannia vaupesana Benthem & Maas

  • Authority

    Maas, Paulus J. M., et al. 1986. Burmanniaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 42: 1-189. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Burmanniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Burmannia vaupesana Benthem & Maas

  • Type

    Type. Colombia. Vaupés: Savanna at major rapids, Río Paraná-Pichuna, Mitú and vie., Zarucchi 2226 (holotype, U; isotypes, A, COL, F, GH, INPA, K, MO, NY, P, RB, S, UC, US, VEN, Z).

  • Description

    Species Description - Herbs, 8-30 cm high. Stems green, often deep purple, mostly unbranched. Leaves narrowly triangular-ovate, 1.7-4.7(-6.7) mm long, 0.4-1.3 mm wide, apex acuminate. Inflorescence a bifurcate cincinnus, cincinni 2-9-flowered and 3-17 mm long, flowers 0.7-2.5 mm apart, or the plant having a solitary, terminal flower only. Bracts narrowly ovate-elliptic to ovate-elliptic, sometimes obovate, 1.4-3.5 mm long, 0.5-1.6 mm wide, apex acuminate, rarely acute in upper bracts. Flowers sessile, tubular, purple to whitish green with darker tepals, 4-9 mm long. Outer tepals broadly ovate, (0.9-)1.1-1.5 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, margins involute. Inner tepals ovate to obovate, (0.4-)0.6-0.9 mm long, (0.2-)0.5-0.6 mm wide, slightly involute. Floral tube 1.5-2.3 mm long, 0.4-1.2 mm diam. Wings running from the top of the floral tube down to the top or middle of the ovary, very broadly semiobtriangular to semiobovate, 1-4 mm long, 0.7-2.3 mm wide. Connective bearing apically two, and basally one appendage. Style 2-2.8 mm long, branches (0.3-)0.6-l mm long, upper lip of stigma divided into two parts. Ovary (narrowly) ellipsoid to narrowly obconical, 2-6 x (0.7-)0.9-1.5 mm. Capsule green to purple, narrowly ellipsoid to narrowly obconical, 2.3-6 x 1-1.5 mm, dehiscent by transverse slits. Seeds 0.2-0.3 x 0.1-0.2 mm.

  • Discussion

    Surprisingly, Burmannia vaupesana and B. compacta are the only new Burmannia species to be added to Jonker’s Monograph of 1938.

  • Distribution

    Only known from Vaupés and Amazonas, Colombia; on wet sandstone savannas, up to 450 m; flowering from August to November.

    Colombia South America| Amazonas Colombia South America| Vaupés Colombia South America|