Abstract
Gustavia caucana, a new and endemic species of Lecythidaceae from the department of Cauca, Colombia, is described and illustrated. It is distinguished from G. angustifolia and G. serrata by a combination of characters, including leaves with a cuneate to decurrent base, petioles densely pubescent and often punctate, terminal inflorescences with a short rachis, short and broad calyx lobes, a short style, and fruits with four discrete ribs. The species occurs in riparian vegetation of the Patía Valley, on the western slopes of the Central Cordillera and the eastern flank of the Western Cordillera, at elevations between 580 and 1250 m. Its restricted distribution, severe population fragmentation, and ongoing habitat loss support a preliminary assessment of Endangered (EN) under IUCN criteria.
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