Syzygium myriadenum Merr. & L.M.Perry

Tuiwawa, S. H., Craven, L. A., Sam, C. & Crisp, M. D., 2013, The genus Syzygium (Myrtaceae) in Vanuatu, Blumea 58 (1), pp. 53-67 : 61-62

11. Syzygium myriadenum Merr. & L.M.Perry

Syzygium myriadenum Merr.& L.M.Perry (1942a) 293.— Eugenia myriadena (Merr. & L.M.Perry) Whitmore (1967) 16. — Type: Kajewski 2713 (holo A n.v.; iso BRI!), Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal, Sorvorhio Basin , Jan.1932.

Tree up to 15 m tall. Vegetative branchlets quadrangular without wings, angled or terminally compressed, c. 5 mm wide; bark dull, smooth, moderately glandular-verrucose, flaking. Leaf lamina up to 23.5 by 7.2 cm, obovate to broadly oblong; base symmetric, cuneate; apex acute or sometimes round, acumen flat; margin flat; entire; coriaceous; drying greenish brown above; primary vein (midrib) c. 2 mm wide; secondary veins closed, more than 20 each side of primary vein, c. 5 mm apart; intramarginal vein strongly arched, 2–4 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, moderately dense. Petiole c. 20 by 2 mm, adaxially strongly grooved. Inflorescence terminal, cymose panicle, c. 8 by 6 cm, 1–2 flowers per anthopodium; hypopodium 5–8 mm long; main inflorescence axis c. 3 mm wide, compressed, angled, dull, smooth; bracts caducous, not seen. Hypanthium not stipitate; narrowly oblong, c. 17 by 5 mm, dull, not visibly gland dotted, striate. Sepals 4, c. 1 by 3 mm, triangular or semicircular, persistent, free. Petals not seen. Stamens not seen. Style not seen. Fruit black when ripe, smooth, plane, botuliform, c. 3 by 0.5 cm.

Distribution & Ecology — ( Vanuatu Penama province: Pentecost; Sanma Province: Espiritu Santo; Tafea province: Aneityum, Erromango). Syzygium myriadenum occurs in the Solomon Islands and in Vanuatu where it is quite common in the southern islands rainforest up to 900 m asl.

Vernacular names — Incaemu (Aneityum); Nettor (Erromango).

Uses — Unknown.

Note — Syzygium myriadenum can be confused with S. nomoa because of the close similarities in leaf shape and secondary venation pattern. However, these two species are distinct in leaf size and apex and in hypanthium shape and size. Syzygium myriadenum has leaves up to 23.5 by 7.2 cm with the apex acute, and the hypanthium narrowly oblong and c. 17 by 5 mm. For S. nomoa the leaves are up to 15.6 by 5.8 cm with the leaf apex round, and the hypanthium is obconic and c. 8 by 4 mm.