Espeletia llanadaensis (Asteraceae): A new species from the Northeastern Colombian Andes, Santander

A new species of Espeletia has been discovered in the La Llanada Reserve, located in Paramo del Almorzadero in the northern Colombian Andes. Espeletia is a genus widely distributed along the north of the Andes mountain range; it is one of the most representative genera of paramo ecosystems and showcases a great morphological and ecological variability. The new species has an average density of 4360 individuals per hectare and a gregarious distribution pattern, resulting from a limited ability to disperse seeds over long distances, which is also a specialized adaptation to tolerate low temperatures.

The plant is characterized by caulirrhosettes up to 5 m tall and obovate-lanceolate coriaceous leaves. The axillary inflorescences can reach up to 147 cm in length during the flowering period, each capitulum is 15–17 mm in diameter, and the corollas are 5.5–7.0 mm in length. Espeletia llanadaensis sp. nov., is subject to disturbances such as fire and grazing, which may vary at small and temporary spatial scales.

Furthermore, there is no comprehensive conservation plan in the Paramo del Almorzadero to prevent local or regional extinctions of various native, endemic and threatened species.