A new species of Meriania (Melastomataceae: Merianieae) with winged hypanthium from the Cordillera del Condor in Ecuador

A new species of Meriania, from the Cordillera del Condor in Ecuador is described and illustrated here. With this new addition, the number of species of the genus increases to 32 in this country. Meriania urdialesii has few-flowered, pendulous inflorescences with paraclades in regular dichasia, reddish-orange campanulate flowers, 10-winged hypanthium, and isomorphic stamens with connectives that are not prolonged below the thecae. In this paper, we compare the new species with the most similar species that also feature ornamented hypanthia: Meriania campii, M. costata, and M. sumatika. In addition, the taxonomic similarities of the new entity are discussed, and information about its distribution, habitat, and conservation status is provided.