135 years in the shadows: rediscovery of Lophophytum weddellii Hook. f. (Santalales, Balanophoraceae) in Colombia

The rediscovery of Lophophytum weddellii Hook. f. (Balanophoraceae) in Colombia is documented 135 years after its last record. Three individuals were found in Segovia, Antioquia, parasitizing Inga umbellifera (Vahl) Steud. (Fabaceae), representing the first confirmed host and photographic record for the country. Morphological data, pollen description, and floral visitors are reported. Historical notes on William Purdie’s 1845 collections and the biogeographic context of the Nechí Refuge highlight the relevance of this finding for understanding the disjunct distribution of the species between the Magdalena Valley and the Amazon Basin.