Phytotaxa 451 (1): 001–020 ISSN 1179-3155 (print edition) https://www.mapress.com/j/pt/ PHYTOTAXA Copyright © 2020 Magnolia Press Article ISSN 1179-3163 (online edition) https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.451.1.1 Lintersemina (Rubiaceae: Condamineeae), a new and enigmatic genus from the Magdalena Medio Region of Colombia HUMBERTO MENDOZA-CIFUENTES1,4*, ANGELA CELIS2,5, EDUARDO TOVAR3,6 & MAILYN A. GONZÁLEZ3,7 1 Instituto Alexander von Humboldt, Herbario FMB, Carrera 8 # 15-08, Claustro de San Agustín, Villa de Leyva, Colombia. 2 Carrera 8 # 4N-15, Piedecuesta, Colombia. 3 Instituto Alexander von Humboldt, Laboratorio de Genética de la Conservación, Calle 28A # 15-09 Bogotá, Colombia. 4
[email protected]; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5685-9338 5
[email protected]; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8503-7192 6
[email protected]; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2680-3904 7
[email protected]; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9150-5730 *Author for correspondence Abstract A new genus, Lintersemina (Condamineeae, Rubiaceae), with a single species, L. chucuriensis is here described, based on recent collections made during a biological exploration to the Magdalena Medio Region of Santander Department, central portion of Colombia. This region is of high interest for both the high endemicity of its flora and fauna and the critical conservation status of this biodiversity due to high levels of deforestation. Lintersemina is unique within the tribe Condamineeae for the following combination of characters: axillary, long-pedunculate inflorescences, loculicidal capsules with 1-2 seeds per locule, and large navicular seeds. Based on phylogenies obtained using plastid and nuclear sequence data, the genus is positioned in the Condamineeae (subfamily Ixoroideae), as a sister group to the genera Simira and Parachimarrhis.