Syzygium vanuatuense, 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 : 66

20. Syzygium vanuatuense S.H.Tuiwawa & Craven, sp. nov. — Fig. 2

A S. aneityensi Guillaumin venis secundariis c. 18 mm distantibus, vena intramarginali 4 mm a margine,sepalis majoribus (in fructu 2 × 5–8 mm) differt. — Typus: Wilson 952 (holo A; iso K, P), Vanuatu,Aneityum,Anelgauhat Bay, c. 150–460 m asl, Sept. 1929.

Tree up to 25 m tall. Vegetative branchlets terete, c. 4 mm diam; bark dull, smooth, not glandular or verrucose, persistent. Leaf lamina up to 11 by 5.5 cm, circular or elliptic; base symmetric, attenuate or cuneate; apex cuspidate, acumen recurved; margin flat, entire; chartaceous; drying reddish brown above; primary vein (midrib) weak, c. 1 mm thick; secondary veins open, c. 7 each side of primary vein, up to 1.8 cm apart; intramarginal vein strongly arched, c. 4 mm from the margin at the lamina midpoint; secondary intramarginal vein weakly arched, tertiary intramarginal vein absent; oil dots present, not visible to the unaided eye in transmitted light, small, dense. Petiole 6 –15 mm, adaxially strongly grooved. Inflorescence not seen. Hypanthium not seen. Sepals 4, up to 2 by 5– 8 mm, semicircular, persistent, free. Petals not seen. Stamens not seen. Style not seen. Fruit red when ripe, smooth, plane, ellipsoid, up to 2.5 by 2 cm.

Distribution & Ecology — Vanuatu (Tafea province: Aneityum, Erromango). Syzygium vanuatuense is endemic to Vanuatu where it is a rainforest canopy tree occurring up to 400 m asl.

Vernacular names — Morekolon or neyalam (Erromango).

Uses — Unknown.

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

2. In the notes on the label of Wilson 952 the flowers are said to be yellow but no flowers are present on any of the specimens examined.

3. The specific epithet is derived from the country name, Vanuatu.

4. Differs from S. aneityense in the following features: secondary veins c. 18 mm apart, intramarginal vein 4 mm from the margin, sepals larger (in fruit 2 by 5–8 mm).

Acknowledgements The culmination of several institutions and people whose contribution to this project are especially acknowledged: the Fiji Government via the Fijian Affairs Board (FAB) is accredited for financially supporting the graduate study; the ANU Travel Grant Award for co-funding the field expedition to Vanuatu; and the Research School of Biology (ANU) Molecular lab for the laboratory expenditures.The directors and/or curators of the following herbaria are thanked for the opportunity to study collections in their care: A, BISH, BRI, CANB, GH, K, NOU, NZFRI, P, SUVA. The staff and researchers at CSIRO Plant Industry and the Research School of Botany (ANU) are also thanked for the collegial support. The outline maps are based on the map in Higuchi (1996) and have been adapted by VRU CSIRO Plant Industry.

We also thank the staff at the Forestry Departments and other departments of Vanuatu for the technical support: Presley Dovo on Efate, Dick Tomers, the Director of Agriculture, Bani William of GTZ on Espiritu Santo; and the Forestry officers on the islands of Espiritu Santo, Efate and Aneityum.In Fiji: Senivalati Vido at the Fiji Forestry Department in Suva and the parataxono- mists Mosese and Mitieli of Nakavu, Namosi Province.

A special ‘thank you tumas’ to all the chiefs, families, local guides and the unmentioned support group of people who have attributed to the success of the collection and trip: Chief Lolos and the villagers of Butmas village of Espiritu Santo, Chief Selta of Lasenui village and villagers of Waiaru village of Malakula, Chief Sam Tao of Lonamilo village, Chief David of Ihili village and Lalep of Aneityum. Last but not the least a very big ‘vinaka vakalevu’ to: the Sam family on Walla village, Malakula Island; the Tafua family on Tanna Island; Aga McCartney and the Baereleo family - Rolenas, Kingsley and Dietry for the hospitality and support in the field on Efate and especially on Tanna Island.

Figures

Fig. 2 Holotype of S. vanuatuense S.H.Tuiwawa & Craven.