50 Accepted by Manuel Belgrano: 7 Aug. 2013; published: 10 Sept. 2013 PHYTOTAXA ISSN 1179-3155 (print edition) ISSN 1179-3163 (online edition) Copyright © 2013 Magnolia Press Phytotaxa 130 (1): 50–54 (2013) www.mapress.com/ phytotaxa/ Article http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.130.1.6 A new species of Renealmia (Zingiberaceae) from Colombia JUAN C. OSPINA & RAÚL E. POZNER Instituto de Botánica Darwinion (IBODA), casilla de correo 22, B1642HYD San Isidro, Buenos Aires, Argentina; jgonzalez@darwin.edu.ar Abstract Renealmia elianae (Zingiberaceae), a new species from the Central Andes of Colombia is described and illustrated. Renealmia elianae is morphologically close to R. puberula, differing by the inflorescence position, corolla size, labellum texture, surface and color, and size of the epigynous glands. Introduction Renealmia Linnaeus f. (1781: 79) currently includes about 85 species of medium to large sized, rhizomatous herbs with a pantropical distribution: 23 species are native to Africa (Schumann 1904, Koechlin 1965, Dhetchuvi 1996); about 62 species are found in the Neotropics (Maas 1975, 1977, 1979, 1982, Maas & Maas 1987, 1990). A phylogenetic analysis by Särkinen et al. (2007) suggested that Renealmia is monophyletic. The taxonomy of Renealmia is covered by regional floristic studies (Maas 1975, 1977, 1979, 1982, Bolaños et al. 2010, Idarraga & Callejas 2011) and later additions of new species (Maas & Maas 1987, 1990, Dhetchuvi 1996). The taxonomy of neotropical species of Renealmia is complex and has been reviewed only once by Maas (1977), after which a number of additional species were described. During the study of the species of Renealmia from the western slopes of the Central Andes (“Cordillera Central”) of Colombia, a specimen similar to R. puberula Steyermark (1964: 340) was found. However, its leaf morphology and apical inflorescence suggest a clear difference from any of the species of Renealmia recorded from the Cordillera Central of Colombia (Vargas 2002, Idarraga & Callejas 2011). After a study of herbarium collections, a bibliographic revision of the Neotropical species of Renealmia and several fieldtrips to locate natural populations, we are confidently presenting a new species. Material and Methods Collections from COL, CHO, FAUC, HUA, HUQ, JAUM, and MEDEL were morphologically studied and compared with floristic and taxonomical studies of the Neotropical species of Renealmia (Maas 1975, 1977, 1979, 1982, Maas & Maas 1987, 1990, Bolaños et al. 2010, Idarraga & Callejas 2011). Several fieldtrips to Circasia and Armenia (Quindío) were undertaken, where the first author sampled populations of Renealmia, made herbarium vouchers and fixed rhizomes, flowers and fruits in FAA (formalin : acetic acid : 70% ethyl alcohol, 1:1:18, Johansen 1940). Photographs and field observations of growing patterns, rhizomes, and the position of the inflorescence on the plants were also taken. TERMS OF USE This pdf is provided by Magnolia Press for private/research use. Commercial sale or deposition in a public library or website is prohibited.