Eugenia culicina Sobral, 2013

Sobral, Marcos, 2013, Eight New Atlantic Rainforest Species and Nomenclatural Notes in Brazilian Myrtaceae, Phytotaxa 135 (1), pp. 43-61 : 48-49

1.3. Eugenia culicina Sobral , sp. nov.

Type:— BRAZIL. Pernambuco: mun. Jaqueira, Serra do Espelho, Mata do Mosquito, 10 km da Usina Frei Caneca, 170 km de Recife , 10 Apr. 1999, J.A. Siqueira-Filho & G.S. Baracho 910/830 (holotype UFP) .

Figure 3 .

This species is related to Eugenia roseiflora , differing by the smaller petioles, blades with lateral veins adaxially sulcate, pilose flowers and larger fruits.

Tree to 4 m. Twigs complanate, glabrous, longitudinally striate, the internodes 18–55 × 3–4 mm. Leaves with petioles 2–5 × 1.5–2 mm, canaliculate; blades elliptic or ovate-elliptic, 100–160 × 50–70 mm, 2–2.3 times longer than wide, glabrous, discolorous when dry, dark green, sometimes shiny, adaxially and dull light green abaxially; glandular dots scarcely visible, smaller than 0.1 mm in diameter and 30 to 40 per square milimeter; apex acuminate in 10–15 mm; base widely cuneate to obtuse, sometimes slightly cordiform; midvein strongly sulcate adaxially and strongly prominent abaxially; lateral veins 10 to 14 at each side, adaxially sulcate and abaxially markedly prominent, leaving the midvein at angles 70 to 80 degrees; marginal veins two to three, the inner one 6–8 mm, the medial one 1.5–2.5 mm and the outer one 0.5–0.7 from the revolute margin. Inflorescences ramiflorous or occasionally axillary, umbelliform, the axis 3–4 × 1 mm, glabrous, with up to eight flowers; bracts lanceolate, to 1 × 0.5 mm, with scattered simple white trichomes to 0.1 mm; pedicels 14– 20 × 0.6–1 mm, with simple erect trichomes to 0.1 mm; bracteoles narrowly lanceolate, 2.7–3 × 1 mm, concave, with trichomes as the pedicels, deciduous before anthesis; flower buds obovate, 9–12 × 8–9 mm, the calyx and ovary uniformly covered by simple grey trichomes 0.1 mm, the globe of petals visible above the calyx lobes, these four, ovate or hemispheric, pilose on both sides, subequal, 4–6 × 4–8 mm; petals four, elliptic or spathulate, concave, to 10 × 8 mm, adaxially glabrous and abaxially sericeous, covered with simple trichomes to 0.1 mm; stamens about 200, 8– 9 mm, the anthers elliptic, 1 × 0.7–0.8 mm, eglandular; staminal ring subquadrate, 6–7 mm in diameter, with simple trichomes smaller than 0.1 mm; style 10–11 mm, the stigma slightly capitate, papillose; ovary with two locules and about 20 centrally attached ovules per locule. Fruits globose, about 35 mm in diameter, with one globose seed 20–25 mm in diameter, the testa not adhered to the endocarp, light brown and easily detachable, the embryo with cotyledons strongly coalesced but evidently distinct between them when the seed is sectioned longitudinally, without a visible hypocotyl.

Distribution, habitat and phenology:— Eugenia culicina was collected in Atlantic Rainforest remnants of the northeastern state of Pernambuco, at 700–900 m elev.; these remnants are locally known as "brejos de altitude" (i.e., highland swamps), and consist of rainforest landscapes scattered along drier landscapes with lower altitudes. Flowers were collected in April and fruits in January.

Conservation status:—the municipalities of Jaqueira and Bonito have an area of approximately 480 km 2 ( IBGE 2012), and there are 4,170 collections from both municipalities combined ( CRIA 2012); they are not contiguous and are connected by two other municipalities, Belém de Maria and Catende, with 73 and 207 km 2 ( IBGE 2012) and 7 and 131 collections ( CRIA 2012), respectively. The totality of these municipalities thus comprise about 760 km 2, and the total collection density is about 24 collections / km 2, which is a considerable sampling effort. In the light of these data, the existence of only two collections of this species may be presumed to be a real indicative of its rarity. Nevertheless, since additional information on issues such as environmental fragmentation or decline are wanting, Eugenia culicina must be presently scored as DD (Data Deficient).

Affinities:—this species is apparently related to Eugenia roseiflora McVaugh (for description see McVaugh 1969), from which it can be distinguished by the following characters:

1. Leaves with petioles to 10 mm, the blade / petiole proportion about 13:1; blades with lateral veins raised adaxially; secondary lateral veins visible and slightly thinner than the main lateral ones; calyx and ovary glabrous; fruits to 10 mm in diameter. .............................................................................................................................. Eugenia roseiflora

—. Leaves with petioles to 5 mm, the blade / petiole proportion higher than 30:1; blades with lateral veins sulcate adaxially; secondary lateral veins scarcely visible and evidently smaller in gauge than the main lateral ones; calyx and ovary pilose; fruits to 35 mm in diameter. ......................................................................................... Eugenia culicina Etymology:—the epithet is derived from the Latin word for mosquito – "culex", allusive to the place of collection of the type, Mata do Mosquito ("mosquito forest").

Paratype:— BRAZIL. Pernambuco: mun. Bonito, 21 Jan. 1998, M. Tabarelli ( UFP 22279 ) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Eugenia culicina—holotype (scale: 50 mm); insert: inflorescence (scale: 10 mm).