Differs from all other Glossoloma by the presence of a magenta corolla tube and a creased calyx formed by tightly appressed adjacent lobes.

Colombia. Caquetá: Florencia, antigua vía Florencia–Guadalupe, hacía Cerro de Gabinete, 1°51'50"N, 75°40'22"W, 2387 m, 28 June 2021, D. Hoyos, D. Sanín, A. Pérez & J. Castañeda 765 (holotype: COL; isotypes: COAH, CUVC, HEAA, HUA, HUAZ).

Terrestrial or epiphytic subshrub, branched, with elongate, scandent or horizontal shoots, to 2 m long, 4–8 mm in diameter. Stems subwoody, subquadrangular in cross-section, glabrescent proximally, velutinous distally, internodes 1–7 cm long. Leaves opposite, decussate, equal to subequal, coriaceous, enations present at the base of petioles, petioles 1–7.3 cm long, velutinous, subterete (flattened adaxially and rounded abaxially) in cross-section, reddish; blade elliptic to ovate, 8–15 × 3–7 cm, base cuneate to obtuse, apex attenuate, margin serrulate, adaxially green, puberulous, trichomes with swollen bases, abaxially light green suffused with pink, drying ferruginous with light brown venation, papillate, puberulent, primary vein velutinous, reddish proximally, lateral veins 6–9 per side, occasionally reddish, more pilose than blade. Inflorescence a reduced pair-flowered axillary cyme, with 1–8 flowers per node; peduncles absent or highly reduced (< 2 mm); bracts lanceolate to oblanceolate, 6.2–14.6 × 1.9–4.7 mm, dark purple, the apex acuminate to obtuse, sparsely pilose. Flowers resupinate; pedicels 1.2–4.0 cm long, dark vinaceous, velutinous, enations present (more abundant distally). Calyx with 5 lobes fused basally, lobes conduplicate with each lobe appressed to adjacent lobe and folded lengthwise with the margins curved outwards and forming a crease, light magenta, dark purple toward the middle and the base, subequal in size and shape, dorsal lobe slightly smaller, 1.4–2.0 × 0.5–1.2 cm, broadly ovate, base truncate, apex acute, margin repand to sinuate, pubescent on both surfaces, more densely pubescent toward the middle. Corolla zygomorphic, tubular, 3.8–4.3 cm long, gibbous basally on lower surface, spur absent, tube broadly widened on dorsal surface (not widened on ventral surface), long axis of corolla perpendicular relative to calyx; corolla tube light magenta outside, whitish with dark red to magenta splotches inside, 2.2–2.5 cm long, basal gibbosity 1.2–1.6 cm long, base 9–11 mm in diameter, middle widened, becoming apically ventricose on upper surface, throat slightly constricted, appearing laterally compressed, 4–6 mm in diameter, densely pilose with translucent white trichomes outside, mostly glabrous, with glandular trichomes apically in the inner surface of throat; limb 11–14 mm wide, with 5 reflexed lobes, lobes subequal, 3.2–5.3 × 4.1–6.4 mm, rotund, margin entire, cream yellow with dark red to magenta splotches proximally and light vinaceous splotches distally, glabrous on both surfaces. Androecium of 4 stamens; filaments connate at the base forming a filament curtain for 6–9 mm, free portion of filaments 1.5–1.9 cm long, glabrous; anthers rectangular, 2.9–3.4 × 2.7–2.8 mm, twice as wide during anthesis, dehiscing by longitudinal slits; staminode absent. Gynoecium with two connate glands, each nectary truncate and shallowly bilobed, 2–3 mm long, glabrous; ovary superior, densely pilose, 8–10 × 4–6 mm; style ca. 16 mm long, glabrous, stigma stomatomorphic. Fruit a bivalved ovoid fleshy capsule, laterally compressed, 12–15 × 13.0–14.1 mm, densely pilose, the valves white on both surfaces, valves reflexed to 180° when mature, revealing a central cone of fleshy white funicular tissue covered by an ephemeral thin brown pericarp. Seeds numerous, initially covered by the endocarp, but immersed in the central cone of funicular tissue, each seed 0.9–1.3 × 0.3–0.4 mm, dark brown, ellipsoid, and longitudinally striate.

Mature flowers were documented during June and September and immature floral buds during January. Immature fruits were documented during September and October, and mature fruits were observed in October.

The specific epithet is derived from two adjectives that reflect the unique characteristics of Glossoloma magenticristatum. The corolla is magenta, a color not found in other members of Glossoloma. The adjacent calyx lobes are tightly appressed and form a crease that appears winged or crested (Fig. 2B), which reflects the second part of the specific epithet, “cristate.”

Figure 1. 

Glossoloma magenticristatum J.L.Clark, D.Hoyos & Clavijo A gynoecium featuring nectary of two connate glands B lateral view of mature flower C adaxial leaf surface with inset featuring multicelled trichome D face view of flower E gynoecium surrounded by cristate calyx lobes F habit G seeds H immature cone-shaped fruit I opened corolla featuring mature stamens. Illustration by M. Morales from Hoyos et al. 765.

Figure 2. 

Glossoloma magenticristatum J.L.Clark, D.Hoyos & Clavijo A lateral view of mature flower B lateral view of calyx featuring cristate lobes C front view of flower D habit (A, B, C Hoyos et al 765 D Hoyos & Castañeda 233). Photos A, B, C by D. Sanín and photo D by D. Hoyos.

Glossoloma magenticristatum is endemic to the Colombian Cordillera Oriental (Eastern Cordillera) of the northern Andes, between 1900 and 2400 m elevation (Fig. 4). The three known populations of Glossoloma magenticristatum were documented growing on roadsides, characterized by shaded secondary forest. Two of the three known populations are documented with collections. A third population in the Huila department (3°19'3.96"N, 74°39'42.32"W) is based on an observation and photograph from April of 2019 on iNaturalist by Jorge Luis Peña. Following the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (IUCN 2022) and guidelines of the IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee (IUCN 2022), Glossoloma magenticristatum is categorized as Endangered (EN) based on the following criteria: B1ab (III) + 2ab (III), extent of occurrence (EOO) is calculated at 378.997 km² (criterion B1 < 5000 km²), and area of occupancy (AOO) is calculated at 12 km² (criterion B2 < 500 km²). The population from the type locality is at risk from periodic disturbance due to the removal of roadside vegetation by maintenance staff on the Florencia–Guadalupe road and globally by the ongoing decline of Andean forests from colonization and agriculture.

Most species of Glossoloma share a habit defined as unbranched terrestrial subshrubs. The presence of an epiphytic habit is rare, and it is even more unusual for epiphytic Glossoloma to have elongate climbing shoots. Currently known species of Glossoloma with an epiphytic habit and elongate shoots include G. chrysanthum (Planch. & Linden) J.L.Clark, G. penduliflorum (M.Frieberg) J.L.Clark, G. scandens J.L.Clark, and G. wiehleri J.L.Clark & F.Tobar. The description here of G. magenticristatum brings the total number of epiphytic Glossoloma with elongate shoots to five species. Glossoloma magenticristatum is most similar to G. serpens (Fig. 3), but readily distinguished by the presence of a magenta corolla (Fig. 2) (vs. red to yellow corolla in G. serpens, Fig. 3A), ovate calyx lobes (vs. broadly ovate in G. serpens, Fig. 3A), and coriaceous leaves (vs. papyraceous in G. serpens). The presence of an epiphytic habit with elongate shoots is also found in G. chrysanthum from Venezuela. These two species are geographically isolated, with G. magenticristatum endemic to Colombia (Fig. 4) and G. chrysanthum endemic to Venezuela. In addition, these species differ by a corolla length 3.8–4.3 cm in G. magenticristatum (vs. corolla length to 3.5 cm in G. chrysanthum), calyx magenta in G. magenticristatum (vs. light green calyx in G. chrysanthum, Fig. 3F), and magenta corolla in G. magenticristatum (vs. uniformly yellow corolla in G. chrysanthum, Fig. 3D).

Figure 3. 

Glossoloma serpens J.L.Clark & L.E.Skog (J.L.Clark) and G. chrysanthum (Planch. & Linden) J.L. Clark A lateral view of mature flower of G. serpens B front view of mature flower of G. serpens C mature fruit of G. serpens D lateral view of mature flower for G. chrysanthum E front view of mature flower of G. chrysanthum F calyx of G. chrysanthum (A J.L.Clark 5627 B J.L.Clark 5996 C J.L.Clark 9834 D, E, F J.L.Clark 6872). All photos by J.L. Clark.

Figure 4. 

Distribution map of Glossoloma magenticristatum J.L.Clark, D.Hoyos & Clavijo in Colombia with inset featuring collection localities in the departments of Caquetá and Huila.

Colombia. Caquetá: Florencia, Cerro de Gabinete, Antigua vía Florencia–Guadalupe, 1°52'51.5"N, 75°4'46.5"W, 2000 m, 15 Sep 2018, D. Hoyos & M. Cuellar 103 (COL); Florencia, Cerro de Gabinete, Antigua vía Florencia–Guadalupe, 1°52'51.5"N, 75°4'46.5"W, 2000 m, 22 Sep 2019, D. Hoyos & J. Castañeda 233 (HUAZ, HEAA). Huila: Garzón, vereda Las Mercedes, borde de bosque secundario, 2°8'44.5"N, 75°31'9.6"W, 1960 m, 27 Dec 2021, J.L. Peña, E. Rojas & D. Hoyos 924 (HEAA, HUAZ).