Ecuador. Cotopaxi: cantón Pujuli, western lowland border of Reserva Ecológica Los Illinizas, trail towards finca of Narcisssa Castellano, trailhead accessed via road Guayacán-Pucayacu, 0°48'44"S, 79°5'37.5"W, 1014 m alt., 11 Mar 2022, J.L. Clark, C. Restrepo & F. Tobar 16489 (holotype: US; isotypes: MO, NY, QCA, SEL).

Similar to Monopyle ecuadorensis, differing in larger calyx lobes that reach 1.5 cm in length (vs. 0.5–1.0 cm long in M. ecuadorensis), larger campanulate corolla tube that exceeds 3.0 cm in length (vs. corolla tube less than 3 cm in M. ecuadorensis), and a uniformly dark purple corolla tube (vs. broad range of corolla tube colors from uniformly white to white suffused with blue in M. ecuadorensis).

Terrestrial herb; roots fibrous, shoots dorsiventral, usually light green, occasionally green suffused with red, 20–60 cm tall, 2.5–5 mm diam., glabrous. Leaves opposite, strongly anisophyllous, interstipular scar present; the larger leaf of pair with petioles (4–) 7–17 mm long, uniformly green or green suffused with red, glabrous, blade asymmetrical ovate to elliptic, base oblique, to 10 mm between bases, apex acuminate, (5–) 8.5–23.3 × 3.0–5.8 (–8) cm, subentire to serrate, adaxially light green, sparsely pilose, abaxially green, puberulent to pilose with uncinate trichomes (more so on veins); the smaller leaf of a pair with petioles to 5 mm (some appearing sessile), glabrous, blade ovate to orbicular, base oblique (appearing equilateral), apex acuminate to cuspidate, 0.9–2.4 × 0.5–1.2 cm, entire to serrate towards the apex, adaxially and abaxially similar to larger leaf. Inflorescence a terminal, erect, compound cyme (appearing paniculate); peduncle 5–10 cm, glabrous, bracts in pairs 3–5 × 0.5–1 mm, persistent, opposite, adaxially and abaxially glabrous; rachis to 10 cm long, 3–10 nodes, with 2 cymules per node; pedicel 6–9 mm long. Calyx uniformly light green to uniformly wine red, lobes five, broadly ovate at base and acuminate at apex, 11–14 × 3–5 mm, connate at base, outer surface with dense sticky trichomes, inner surface nearly glabrous. Corolla campanulate, uniformly dark purple, base sometimes white suffused with purple, 30–45 × 15–20 mm, sparsely pilose, minute gland-tipped trichomes on the inner dorsal surface of the tube (inserted above androecium), osmophore present; corolla lobes with minute glandular trichomes along margin of the lobes, lateral and dorsal lobes 7–9 × 4–6 mm, ventral lobe 9–11 × 6–7 mm. Androecium with four stamens, 4–5 mm long, didynamous, included, filaments 3–5 mm long, adnate to corolla, anthers 0.8–1.1 × 0.5–0.7 mm, connivent for up to 1 mm; nectary absent. Gynoecium with inferior ovary, to 2 mm wide, densely pilose with glandular trichomes that extend to the calyx lobes, style to 5.6 mm long, glabrous, stigma stomatomorphic. Fruits not observed.

Flowering in March. Fruits not observed.

The trichomes on the calyx lobes and inferior ovary allow the flower to cling to an upside-down finger (Fig. 1C). This specific epithet reflects the sticky trichomes on the outer surface of the inferior ovary and calyx lobes.

Figure 1. 

Monopyle glutinosa J.L.Clark & Keene A lateral view of flower B front view of flower C inferior ovary and calyx lobes adhering to a finger from the sticky trichomes D dorsiventral habit (A–D from J.L. Clark 16489). Photos by J.L. Clark.

Monopyle glutinosa is endemic to the western Andean slopes of Ecuador. The three known collections are located in the buffer zone and the southern region of Reserva Ecológica Los Illinizas, from disturbed primary forests. GeoCAT calculated the following values for EOO = 46.31 km² and AOO = 12 km². Based on the available information and according to the IUCN Red List Criteria and Guidelines (IUCN 2022; IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee 2022), M. glutinosa is preliminarily assessed as Critically Endangered (CR, B1a,biii), based on its limited geographic range (EOO < 100 km²) and the uncertain future of habitat conservation of western Andean forests as exemplified by the deforestation for agriculture throughout the buffer zone and inside the park.

Monopyle glutinosa differs from all other Monopyle by the presence of sticky glandular trichomes intermixed with similarly-sized uncinate trichomes on the outer surface of the inferior ovary and calyx lobes. Monopyle glutinosa and M. ecuadorensis share a similar terrestrial dorsiventral habit with a terminal inflorescence, swollen regions along the stem between nodes (Fig. 2C), and similar shapes of calyx and corolla. The inflorescence on M. glutinosa has shorter peduncles and appears more compact (< 10 cm). The inflorescence on M. ecuadorensis has more inflorescence branching and appears broader from longer peduncles, often exceeding 10 cm in length and width (Fig. 2D). The campanulate flowers and broadly ovate calyx lobes are similar to M. ecuadorensis. The campanulate corolla tube in M. glutinosa exceeds 3 cm (Fig. 1A), in contrast to the smaller corolla tube in M. ecuadorensis that rarely exceeds 3 cm in length (Fig. 2A) and 1 cm in width (Fig. 2B). The broadly ovate calyx lobes with acuminate, reflexed apices are longer (ca. 1.5 cm long) in M. glutinosa (Fig. 1B) relative to the shorter (ca. 0.5–1.0 cm long) calyx lobes in M. ecuadorensis (Fig. 2B). Corolla tube coloration ranges in M. ecuadorensis from uniformly white to white suffused with blue (Fig. 2A). In contrast, the corolla tube of M. glutinosa is uniformly dark purple (Fig. 1A). Monopyle ecuadorensis is distributed throughout western Ecuador (usually above 1200 meters). In contrast, M. glutinosa is locally endemic and restricted to altitudes below 1200 meters.

Figure 2. 

Monopyle ecuadorensis C.V.Morton A lateral view of flower B front view of flower C swollen region between nodes D dorsiventral habit with terminal inflorescence (A, D from J.L. Clark 12301, B, C J.L. Clark 12294). Photos by J.L. Clark.

Ecuador. Cotopaxi: 20 km NW of El Corazón, 19–24 Jun 1967, B. Sparre 17294 (MO, S); cantón Pujilí, Reserva Ecológica Los Illinizas, sector Paloseco, west of Choasillí, 0°58'34"S, 79°6'58"W, 1700 m alt., 12 Aug 2003, P. Silverstone-Sopkin et al. 10064 (COL, MO, US).