Syzygium flabellum, Tuiwawa, S. H., Craven, L. A., Sam, C. & Crisp, M. D., 2013

Tuiwawa, S. H., Craven, L. A., Sam, C. & Crisp, M. D., 2013, The genus Syzygium (Myrtaceae) in Vanuatu, Blumea 58 (1), pp. 53-67 : 59

5. Syzygium flabellum S.H.Tuiwawa & Craven, sp. nov.

A S. richii (A.Gray) Merr. & L.M.Perry ramulis teretis, lamina foliorum late ovata, majore (c. 28 × 17 cm), basi truncata, petiolis longioribus (c. 3.5 cm longis), et sepalis majoribus (c. 12 × 13 mm) differ. — Typus: Green RSNH­1088 (holo K; iso P) , Vanuatu,Efate,near Rentepao, E168 °27', 14 July 1971 .

Tree up to 20 m tall. Vegetative branchlets terete, 6 mm diam; bark dull, cracked, not glandular or verrucose, flaking. Leaf lamina c. 28 by 17 cm, broadly ovate; base symmetric, truncate; apex acute, acumen flat; margin flat; chartaceous; drying reddish brown above; primary vein (midrib) stout, 2 mm wide; secondary veins open, 8 each side of primary vein, c. 45 mm apart; intramarginal vein absent; secondary and tertiary intramarginal vein absent; oil dots present, not visible to the unaided eye in transmitted light, small, sparse. Petiole up to 35 by 4 mm, adaxially strongly grooved. Inflorescence below the leaves, simple dichasia, c. 4 by 6 cm, up to 3 flowers per anthopodium; hypopodium up to 8 mm long; main inflorescence axis 3 mm wide, terete, dull, smooth to slight striate; bracts caducous, c. 2 mm long. Hypanthium white, stipitate, stipe 1 mm long; campanulate, c. 25 by 23 mm, dull, not visibly gland dotted, smooth. Sepals 4, c. 12 by 13 mm, semicircular, persistent, free. Petals c. 4, deciduous, coherent, circular, c. 12 by 13 mm, visibly gland dotted; margin entire. Stamens many, more than 50, outermost stamens c. 20 mm long; filament free, colour not seen; anther sacs oblong. Style c. 30 mm long. Fruit not seen.

Distribution & Ecology — Vanuatu (Malampa province: Malakula; Sanma province: Espiritu Santo; Shefa province: Efate). This species is endemic to Vanuatu where it occurs in coastal forest.

Vernacular names — Unknown.

Uses — Unknown.

Notes — 1. Flowers have been recorded in March and fruit in July.

2. Syzygium flabellum could be misidentified as S. richii because of the similarities in vegetative features and hypanthium; for a comparison between the two species see under the latter species.

3. The epithet flabellum is a noun in apposition and comes from the Latin flabellum , fan. The fan-shaped, often large leaves are a distinctive feature of this species.

4. Differs from S. richii in the following features: branchlets terete; leaf blade broadly ovate, larger (c. 28 by 17 cm), base truncate, longer than the petiole; sepals larger (c. 12 by 13 mm).