COLOMBIA – Antioquia • Municipio de Anorí, vereda La Providencia, sector Tierra Feliz; 7°18’4.464”N, 75°03’44.712”W; 600 m; 19 Jul. 2018; fl.; David et al. 6371; holotype: HUA [HUA0074954].

Psittacanthus job-kuijtii differs from the remaining species in the genus by the combination of the following characters: percurrent shoots; leaf blades ovate to broadly lanceolate, base truncate to rounded, margins revolute and adaxially extending toward the petiole, forming a V-shaped projection, apex attenuate to acuminate; inflorescences usually double triads, rarely triple triads, or a monad with two triads (all variations were observed in the holotype); flowers 4–5 cm long in pre-anthesis; petals red to orange in the proximal and medial portions and yellow distally with a deltoid, fleshy basal ligule bearing minute papillae, 1.8–2 mm long; stamens dimorphic, staminal hairs absent. Psittacanthus job-kuijtii is similar to P. peronopetalus, but differs from it by having usually double (rarely triple) triads (vs umbels of four triads), and flowers opening at anthesis with petals recurved for about 2 cm (vs flowers opening only at the apex, with petals recurved for no more than 2 mm).

Figure 1. 

Psittacanthus job-kuijtii . A. Habit. B. Flower, showing from bottom to top: the upper portion of the flower pedicel, cupule with bract followed by the ovary and calyculus, petals with their tips recurved at anthesis, and protruding stamens and pistil. C. Detail of vermicular projections on the margin of petal. D. Basal ligule in front view. E. Basal ligule in lateral view. Based on the holotype (David et al. 6371, HUA). Illustration by Diego Zapata (HUA).

Hemiparasitic shrub. Haustorium not seen. Branches percurrent, slightly flattened when young, terete when mature, striate. Internodes 2.9–10.4 cm long, 2.1–4.8 mm diam., glabrous; nodes not swollen. Leaves opposite; petiole 3.2–12.4 mm long, 1.8–2.9 mm diam., canaliculate adaxially, terete abaxially; leaf blades ovate to broadly lanceolate, 8.2–23 × 2.7–10.7 cm, coriaceous, base truncate to rounded, with revolute margins adaxially extending towards petiole (V-shaped), apex attenuate to acuminate, margin entire, glabrous on both surfaces; venation brochidodromous, obscure, central vein prominently raised and striate, secondaries impressed, obscure. Inflorescences axillary, usually composed by double triads (rarely triple triads, or one monad with two triads), pendulous, axes pale green, glabrous, inflorescence peduncle 7–13.6 mm long, 0.9–1.1 mm diam., bracts absent; triad peduncle 4.2–8.2 mm long, 0.7–0.9 mm diam., 1 bract deltoid per triad, 0.7–1 mm long, 1–1.1 mm wide at base, cupular pedicels pale green, 6.2–8.4 mm long (without including the cupular portion), ca 0.5 mm diam., cupule ca 0.4 mm long, 1.8 mm wide; bracteole fused to the cupule, deltoid, 0.5–0.8 mm long, 0.8–1.3 mm wide at base. Flower tubular, straight, flower buds 4–5 cm long in pre-anthesis, 1.8–2.5 mm diam. in proximal portions, 1.3–1.6 mm diam. towards the distal portion in sicco; 6-merous. Petals glabrous, red to orange in proximal-medial portions, yellow in distal portions, recurved distally at anthesis (close to 2 cm), medial and proximal portions remain straight, isomorphic, narrowly oblong, 4.8–5 cm long, 0.8–1 mm wide, apex acute, proximal and medial portions of petals with vermicular appendages along each margin, post-staminal hairs absent, basal ligules, 1.8–2 mm long, deltoid, fleshy, minutely papillate, placed to ca 1.7 mm above the base of the petal. Stamens epipetalous, dimorphic; free portion of filaments 10–12 mm long in the shortest series, 13–14 mm long in the longest series, both terete, anthers dorsifixed, oblong, with a pair of lobes at the base, 4–loculate, 2.8–3.8 mm long, 0.8–0.9 mm diam. Ovary 1.8–2.3 mm long, 1.2–2 mm diam., cupuliform, pale green; calyculus ca 0.7 mm long, conspicuous, truncate-notched to dentate, pale green; style 4.5–4.7 cm long, 0.2–0.4 mm diam. in proximal portion, straight, white to light pink proximally and green in medial to distal portions; stigma 0.5–0.6 mm diam., capitate, green. Fruit elliptic, smooth, ca 12 mm long, ca 8 mm diam., purple, black when mature, calyculus persistent; seed ovoid, ca 9 × 5 mm, endosperm 6–lobed, prismatic compound, embryo not seen.

Figure 2. 

Psittacanthus job-kuijtii . A. Triad of an inflorescence showing basal floral parts (flower pedicels and cupule with bract, ovary, calyculus, and proximal portion of petals). B. Flower buds. C. Flower at anthesis with recurved petals. Photographs from the holotype (David et al. 6371, HUA) by Esteban Domínguez. Figure composition by Diego Zapata (HUA).

Psittacanthus job-kuijtii has been collected in Anorí and Amalfi, two neighbouring municipalities in the eastern portion of the Antioquia Department, Andean Region, Colombia.

It occurs in a tropical moist/wet transition zone in Anorí and in moist premontane forest in Amalfi, between 400 and 1100 m a.s.l. (Fig. 3). The species has been reported parasitizing an unidentified species of Melastomataceae.

Figure 3. 

Distribution map of Psittacanthus amazonicus, P. job-kuijtii, P. lamprophyllus, P. pilanthus, and P. zonatus. New and previous records of each species are displayed with empty and filled symbols, respectively. Basemap: ESRI Terrain.

Psittacanthus job-kuijtii was collected with flowers in July, September, and December, and with fruits in December.

The epithet honours Job Kuijt (1930–2024), a plant taxonomist and mistletoe specialist who made significant contributions to the study of diverse parasitic plant groups, particularly mistletoes. He was also the author of the monograph on Psittacanthus (Kuijt 2009).

Psittacanthus job-kuijtii grows in well-preserved forests and it is known from collections made at four neighbouring localities (Fig. 3); these areas are constantly threatened by deforestation, agricultural expansion, and gold mining (Soejarto 1975; Ariza Cortés et al. 2009). According to our data, this species has an Extent of Occurrence (EOO) of 58.3 km² and an Area of Occupancy (AOO) of 16 km². Based on this information, we hypothesize that the EOO, AOO, and the extent and quality of the habitat of P. job-kuijtii are in continuous decline; therefore, we suggest its preliminary placement in the “Endangered” category: EN B1ab(i,iii)+2ab(ii,iii).

This new species belongs to the genus Psittacanthus based on its dorsifixed anthers (Kuijt 2009, 2014). The most morphologically similar species to P. job-kuijtii are P. hamulifer Kuijt, P. peronopetalus Eichler, and P. smithii Kuijt, with similarities in their vegetative traits such as plant habit and leaf shape and size. However, the inflorescence morphology, the flower length of each species, and the length of the basal ligule, distinguishes P. job-kuijtii from similar taxa (Table 1).

Inflorescence architecture is a primary diagnostic feature for delimiting species and identifying specimens within Psittacanthus. This structure comprises two types of peduncles (the inflorescence peduncle and the triad/dyad peduncle), floral pedicels, and the flowers themselves (Kuijt 1981, 2009). However, most of these inflorescences possess a three-dimensional arrangement that rarely survives the drying and pressing process intact. Because components are easily detached, the reconstruction of herbarium material often relies on analysing the scars left by adjacent parts to interpret the original structure (Kuijt 2009). Based on our examination of the holotype (David et al. 6371, HUA), we observed that the inflorescence of Psittacanthus job-kuijtii typically consists of a peduncle supporting two triads. A detailed analysis revealed structural variations or atrophies, such as the presence of three triads or two triads accompanied by a monad (as mentioned in the species description). These deviations likely reflect developmental plasticity or environmental influences during ontogeny; however, such morphological instabilities remain largely underreported for the genus. Nevertheless, the predominant inflorescence ground plan remains a stable and reliable trait for the taxonomic diagnosis of Psittacanthus species.

Psittacanthus job-kuijtii is known from four collections, with poor information about its host range and haustorium morphology. Field expeditions in adjacent regions of Anorí and Amalfi would reveal further data about the host range and verification of the conservation status proposed here.

Moist forest ecosystems of Amalfi and Anorí stand out as areas of exceptional floristic diversity and abundance (Ariza Cortés et al. 2009; Idárraga-Piedrahita and Callejas-Posada 2011). A study conducted in a wet premontane forest, transitioning to premontane rain forest in Amalfi documented high family-level plant richness, recording more than 150 species with a notable representation of Lauraceae, Melastomataceae, Rubiaceae taxa, and epiphytic plants (Ariza Cortés et al. 2009). Similarly, the moist forest ecosystem of Anorí (referred to as “humid forest” in Kor and Diazgranados 2023), has been identified as one of the ten priority areas for the conservation of useful plants in Colombia, due to the high species richness of this region (Kor and Diazgranados 2023). Furthermore, recent taxonomic discoveries in Costaceae, Magnoliaceae, Melastomataceae, and Selaginellaceae from both Amalfi and Anorí highlight that the plant diversity of these localities remains poorly known (Murillo-Serna et al. 2022; Maas et al. 2023; Serna-González et al. 2024; Valdespino et al. 2024). These findings underscore the need for further sampling efforts and the implementation of conservation strategies in both municipalities, which are increasingly threatened by landscape fragmentation and logging pressures (Soejarto 1975; Ariza Cortés et al. 2009).

COLOMBIA – Antioquia • Amalfi, Vereda La Gloria, 35–37 km NE de Amalfi, en la vía Amalfi-Vetilla, sobre Melastomataceae; 7°05’N, 74°56’W; 950–1100 m; 9 Dec. 1989; fr.; Callejas et al. 9218; HUA [HUA69823], NY • Anorí, Valle del río Anorí, between Dos Bocas & Anorí, Vic. Planta Providencia, 26 kms S & 23 kms W (Air) of Zaragoza; 7°13’N, 75°03’W; 400–700 m; 1 Dec. 1974; fl.; Denslow 2517; HUA [HUA9069] • Anorí, Vereda “La Esperanza”; 7°11’04”N, 75°01’53”W; 800–900 m; 17 Sep. 1999; fl.; Tuberquia et al. 1167; JAUM, MEDEL [MEDEL70084].

BRAZIL • Acre, Mpio. Marechal Taumaturgo, Boca de Tejo, Jurua sup.; Apr. 1901; fl.; Ule 5461; holotype: B†; isotypes: HBG [HBG522892], F [F0062382F].

Ule (1907: tafel 1); Kuijt (1983: figs 6–7); Kuijt (2009: fig. 23).

Psittacanthus amazonicus is distinguishable by its non-swollen nodes, alternate leaves, and umbellate inflorescences grouped in triads with delicate, slender ramifications, having pendant flowers with dimorphic stamens (Kuijt 2009). Morphological affinities and a shared amazonian distribution group P. amazonicus, P. barlowii Kuijt, P. elegans Kuijt, P. krausei J.F.Macbr., P. pangui Kuijt, and P. wiensii Kuijt, these being distinguishable by floral traits (Kuijt 2009). Psittacanthus amazonicus occurs in Amazonian Brazil and Peru; here, we extend its known distribution to include Colombia (Fig. 3).

BRAZIL – Acre • Cruzeiro do Sol, Reserva Extrativista do Alto Rio Juruá, Seringal São João, Colocação Tapauna; 9°12’S, 72°41’W; 17 Mar. 1992; fl.; Daly et al. 7462; NY [NY00674392], UC [UC1956938].

COLOMBIA – Cauca • Piamonte, Corregimiento Miraflor, Veredas la Florida-Nápoles, Reserva La Cristalina, trocha hacia el pico Relámpago, cuenca de la quebrada Achayaco, Serranía Los Churumbelos (Bota Caucana); 1°4’17.184”N–1°4’47.028”N, 76°28’9.3”W–76°28’15.384”W; 650–980 m; 2 Mar. 2022; fl.; Betancur et al. 23512; COAH [COAH119489], COL.

PERU – Huánuco • Vicinity of Tingo Maria, Villa Ysabel, Rio Cuchara; 7 Sep. 1962; fl.; Schunke 6152; F [F1705655], K [K005345628], US [US03655791].

BRAZIL • Amazonas: “ad oram meridionalem flum. Amazonum, ad ostium flum. Solimões”; Jun. 1851; fl.; Spruce 1632; lectotype (inadvertently designated by Kuijt 1994): M, F [F Neg 19060]; isolectotypes: K [K000567945, K000567946], M n.v., NY [NY00285232], P [P00756366, P00756367], TCD [TCD0007496].

Eichler (1868: fig. 9-I); Kuijt (2009: fig. 89).

Psittacanthus lamprophyllus is recognized by its elliptical-ovate, lustrous leaves, with pinnate (rarely palmate) venation, axillary inflorescences with short ramifications, slender flowers with an acute apex and flower buds red, dark pink, or red at the base and yellow at the tip (Kuijt 2009; Dettke and Caires 2021). Three synonyms were recently proposed for this species: P. brachypodus Kuijt, P. leptanthus A.C.Sm., and P. redactus Rizzini (Dettke and Caires 2021). Psittacanthus lamprophyllus is distributed in French Guiana, Peru, and Brazil (Kuijt 2009; Dettke and Caires 2021), now including records from lowland forests in the Colombian Amazon Region (Fig. 3).

BRAZIL – Amazonas • Villa Betancourt, río Puré, bosque maduro a orillas del río Puré; 1°51’37.9”S, 68°24’12.5”W; 150 m; 20 Jul. 1997; fl.; Marín et al. 52; COAH [COAH027818] • Río Urubú, between Serra da Lua and Iracema waterfall; 7 Aug. 1979; fl.; Calderón et al. 2967; UC [UC1957529], US [US01335616] • Manaus, ca 80 km N de Manaus, Distrito Agropecuário da SUFRAMA; 2°25’S, 59°54’W; 50–125 m; 10 Jun. 1992; fl.; Dick 143; K [K005345507], NY [NY02220281], UC [UC1957946], US [US01335614] • Distrito Agropecuário da SUFRAMA, Rodovia BR 174, km 64, depois 34 km leste na ZF3, Fazenda Esteio; 2°26’S, 59°48’W; 50–125 m; 25 Jun. 1992; fl.; Nee 42881; K [K005345508], MBM [MBM160341], NY [NY02219550], UC [UC1957953], US [US01335613] • Distrito Agropecuário-Reserva 1501 (Km 41) da Smithsonian/INPA; 2°24’26”–2°25’31”S, 59°43’40”–59°45’50”W; 50–125 m; 3 Jul. 1992; fl.; Roque de Lima et al. 2; NY [NY02220282], UC [UC1957950]. – Mato Grosso • Alta Floresta, Instituto Ecológico Cristalino; 9°35’S, 55°55’W; 21 May 1998; fl., fr.; Dubs & Egewarth 2404; UC [UC1957530], Z [Z000224844]. – Rondônia • Basin of Río Madeira, 4 km above Jaciparaná on Río Jaciparaná; 28 Jun. 1968; fl.; Prance et al. 5308; NY [NY02282504], UC [UC1957948].

COLOMBIA – Amazonas • Corregimiento de Tarapacá, río Putumayo; 2°34’S, 70°13’W; 200–250 m; 18 Mar. 1999; fl.; Marín et al. 1758; COAH [COAH044158] • Corregimiento de Tarapacá, cerca de la segunda pista de aterrizaje en bosque de altura media; 2°54’41.6”S, 69°46’3.9”W; 200 m; 17 Mar. 1999; fl.; Cárdenas et al. 11493; COAH [COAH47359] • Corregimiento La Pedrera, Resguardo indígena Curare – Los Ingleses; 1°17’S, 69°44’W; 100 m; 21 May 2004; fl.; Cordero & Tanimuka 825; COAH [COAH73719], COL.

PERU – Loreto • Maynas, Mishana (Río Nanay); 3°55’S, 73°35’W; 150 m; 20 Jan. 1985; Vásquez & Jaramillo 6133; UC [UC1957517] • Maynas; Mishana (Río Nanay); 26 Jul. 1987; fl.; Ayala et al. 5744; F [V0200334F], UC [UC1957514] • Maynas, Mishana: 1 km W beyond Callicebus Camp; 12 Jan. 1980; fl.; Aronson 1041; F [V0200339F], UC [UC1957518]).

ECUADOR • Napo: slopes of Volcán Sumaco, 1.4 Km SE of source of Río Huataraco, Bloque 19, seismic line 14, DZ 8, Compañía Tritón; 0°41’S, 77°29’W; 690 m; 1 Mar. 1996; fl.; Vargas & Grefa 753; holotype: UC [UC1957695]; isotypes: HUA [HUA0000488], MO n.v.

Kuijt (2009: fig. 121).

Psittacanthus pilanthus is distinguished by its dichotomous branching with glabrous stems and leaves, inflorescences crowded at the older, leafless nodes, inflorescence ramifications densely covered with uniseriate hairs, flowers arranged in double dyads, petals with dense, uniseriate hairs, basal ligules absent and stamens isomorphic, above with long, red hairs (Kuijt 2009). It is considered the only species in western South America with a distinctive indumentum of uniseriate (not unicellular) hairs (Kuijt 2009). This species was described from the Amazonian Ecuador (Kuijt 2009), and the new records expand its distribution to the Andean-Amazon Piedmont in eastern Colombia (Fig. 3).

ECUADOR – Napo • Loreto, Faldas del Volcán Sumaco, Al oeste de Avila Viejo, Bloque 19, línea sísmica 8; 0°38’12”S, 77°27’12”W; 690 m; 13 Feb. 1996; fl.; Freire & Cerda 52; UC [UC1957654].

COLOMBIA – Caquetá • Belén de los Andaquíes, camino Andaquí vía que comunica el municipio de Acevedo con Belén, Vegetación a orilla de camino, sobre bosque en buen estado de conservación; 1°39’22.5”N, 75°54’24.9”W; 1000–1500 m; 13 Mar. 2016; fl.; Cárdenas et al. 46050; NY [NY04123197] • Belén de los Andaquíes, Camino Andaquí, Vegetación a borde de camino; 1°42’38.8”N, 75°54’5.0”W; 1500–1800 m; 8 Mar. 2016; fl.; Castaño et al. 7431; COAH [COAH93980], NY [NY01392623].

ECUADOR • Pastaza: Mera, tall trees in primary forest on river banks; 3 Dec. 1938; H. Schulze-Rhonhof 3070; B†.

ECUADOR • Pastaza: Mera, on Melastomataceae; Harling 3799; neotype (designated by Kuijt 2009): S n.v.; isoneotypes: GB n.v., R [R000172185].

Kuijt (1983: fig. 3); Kuijt (2009: fig. 163).

Psittacanthus zonatus is a plant with terete internodes, paired leaves with a leaf margin heavily callused, inflorescences arranged in umbels of 4–6 triads, with inflorescence ramifications and cupules prominently furfuraceous, the flower bud is straight and it narrows to a 1 cm long, black neck, with petals more or less isomorphic, basal ligules absent, stamens slightly dimorphic, with anthers backed by long, red hairs on the adjacent petal (Kuijt 2009). It was described from southern Andean Ecuador and adjacent Peru (Kuijt 2009), expanding its distribution to Amazonas and Caquetá departments in Colombia (Fig. 3).

ECUADOR – Morona Santiago • Plan del Milagro at cross-road between Limon and Indanza, on Vismia [Hypericaceae]; 1600–1700 m; 24 Apr. 1985; fl.; Harling & Andersson 24572; MBM [MBM163866], NY, UC [UC1958089] • Along Rio Palora, 1–4 km upstream from Arapicos; 800–900 m; 14 Apr. 1981; fl.; Lugo 6088; UC [UC1958091], US [US03655955] • 2–5 km downstream from Arapicos; 800–900 m; 9 Apr. 1981; fl.; Lugo 6040; F [V0200424F], NY, UC [UC1892892] • Colonia Azuay, 2 km from Arapicos; 800–900 m; 18 Apr. 1981; fl.; Lugo 6120; MBM [MBM115371], NY, UC [UC1958084] • About 1/2 hour by car along unfinished road E of El Limon; 1000 m; 5 Feb. 1989; fl.; Van der Werff & Palacios 10422; HUA [HUA0008529], K [K005345745], NY. – Napo-Pastaza • 18 km of NE of Puyo on road to Puerto Napo; 1620 m; 9 Jan. 1965; fl.; Wiens 3728; UC [UC1958087], US [US03655954] • 12 km W of Shell Mera; 1300 m; 9 Jan. 1965; fl.; Wiens 3734; UC [UC1958088]. – Pastaza • Forest on bank of Rio Mangayacu; 1100 m; 9 Dec. 1955; fl.; Asplund 18763; K [K005345746], NY • 31 km N of Puyo on road to Tena, side road E to Cajabamba; 1°15’S, 77°50’W; 1000 m; 24 Dec. 1987; fl.; Boom et al. 7784; NY, UC [UC1958090] • Cantón Pastaza; site of ARCO Central Processing Facility, 33 km E of Puyo, Colonia Bolívar; 1°23’S, 77°45’W; 1000 m; 15 Dec. 1997; fl.; Neill 11042; HUA [HUA0015170], UC [UC1958093] • Mera; 1000 m; 17 Jan. 1982; fl.; Harling et al. 19648; UC [UC1958092] • Road Mera-Pastaza (Shell Mera); 1000–1050 m; 16 Jul. 1967; fl.; Sparre 17541; NY, P [P05096835]. – Zamora Chinchipe • In the vicinity of the mining camp at the Rio Tundaime, along road to military base El Condor; 3°37’31”S, 78°26’26”W; 1000 m; 5 Nov. 2004; Van der Werff et al. 19321; HUA [HUA0015150], NY, US [US03655953], UC [UC1958082].

COLOMBIA – Amazonas • La Chorrera, comunidad de Vegsam, margen derecha del río Igará-Paraná; 1°23’53.0”S, 72°48’59.0”W; 190 m; 7 Sep. 2019; fl.; Cárdenas et al. 51700; COAH [COAH110330] • La Chorrera; 12 Feb. 2023; fl.; Vélez & Funoratofe 8225; COAH [COAH123851] • La Chorrera; 1°13’21.75”S, 72°56’25.03”W; 28 Jul. 2023; fl.; Castaño et al. 14354; COAH [COAH125134]. – Caquetá • Belén de los Andaquíes, camino Andaquí, vía que comunica el municipio de Acevedo con Belén; 1°41’34.5”N, 75°54’25.1”W; 1300–1500 m; 9 Mar. 2016; fl.; Cárdenas et al. 45784; COAH, NY [NY04123191] • Belén de los Andaquíes, Parque Natural Municipal Andaquí, Cabeceras del río Pescado; 1°41’52.6”N, 75°54’15.9”W; 1608 m; 25 Jan. 2017; fl.; Castaño et al. 8757; COAH [COAH95397].

PERU – Huánuco • Prov. Pachitea, region of Pucallpa, W part of “Sira Mountains” and adjacent lowland, ca 24 km SE of Puerto Inca, from “Campamento Sira” SE down to valley of Rio Negro; 9°28’S, 74°47’W; 500–800 m; 12 Feb. 1988; fr.; Morawetz & Wallnöfer 14-12288; UC [UC1958086] • W part of “Sira Mountains” and adjacent lowland, crest of the mountain range going W to E from the “Campamento Oro” to the “Campamento Sira”, on Melastomataceae; 800 m; 27 Nov. 1987; fl.; Wallnöfer & Fernandez 12-271187; UC [UC1958085]. – Pasco • Oxapampa, Distrito Palcazu, Parque Nacional Yanachaga Chemillén, a una hora de la Estación Biológica Paujil; 10°20’S, 75°15’W; 780 m; 25 Oct. 2002; fl.; Monteagudo et al. 4263; UC [UC1958083].