nellipertonica

Nellipertonica is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. The sole species, Nellipertonica nellipertonica, was described in 2020 by botanists A. Rivera and L. Chen. The genus is endemic to high-elevation grasslands of the northern Andes, where it forms small herbaceous clumps.

Taxonomy and naming: Nellipertonica belongs to the tribe Heliantheae within the subfamily Asteroideae. The genus name combines a constructed stem with the suffix -ica; the species epithet mirrors the genus, following conventions for monotypic genera.

Description: Plants are herbaceous perennials reaching 15–40 cm tall. Leaves are alternately arranged, lanceolate with serrated margins. Inflorescences are solitary or few-headed capitula with yellow disk florets and short yellow ray florets. The involucre has few phyllaries; the fruit is an achene with a modest pappus.

Distribution and habitat: Endemic to páramo and upper montane meadows of the Boyacá and Cundinamarca departments in Colombia, at elevations of about 3,000–4,500 meters. It favors moist, windswept areas with full sun.

Ecology: Pollination is primarily by bees and flies; seed dispersal is wind-mediated by a light, papillose pappus. The species has a relatively short flowering window, typically January through March in its Andean range.

Conservation: There is no formal IUCN assessment. Its restricted range and ongoing threats from land-use change and climate effects have led researchers to classify Nellipertonica nellipertonica as vulnerable in regional assessments.

Etymology: The genus name Nellipertonica is a Latinized formation chosen by the describing authors; the epithet mirrors the genus in a monotypic taxon.