New Symptoms of the Affectation Syndrome of Frailejones in Colombia

Frailejones —endemic plants of high mountain páramo— exhibit morphological changes, which can lead to death. Some of these changes have been regarded as symptoms and are grouped as the Af-fectation Syndrome of Frailejones. Nonetheless, a standardized naming and description of these symptoms is lacking. Thus, research was conducted in six páramo complexes on the eastern range of the Colombian Andes to characterize the symptoms of Affectation Syndrome of Frailejones across different frailejón species, aiming at i) generating information about symptom specificity in certain frailejón species and páramos, and ii) naming and providing a thorough description of these symptoms. Plots of 5 × 5 m were randomly established in six páramo complexes, in which the features of each new symptom were documented. A name was assigned to each symptom, and the affected frailejón spe-cies was determined. Six new symptoms and one sign were found in all assessed páramos and frailejón species within the study area, thus broadening the spectrum of frailejón affectation syn-drome. No symptom was exclusive to a páramo or frailejón species. Moreover, the features of the novel signs and symptoms were all consistent among frailejón species. Thanks to this naming and description of each novel symptom and sign, further assessments of frailejón disease can be systemat-ically conducted.