Syzygium samarangense (Blume) 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 : 63-64

16. Syzygium samarangense (Blume) Merr. & L.M.Perry

Syzygium samarangense (Blume) Merr.& L.M.Perry (1938a) 115.— Myrtus samarangensis Blume (1826) 1084. — Jambosa samarangensis DC. (1828) 286. — Typus “in cultis”. The type has not yet been established but P. Hovenkamp (pers. comm.) advises that specimens in L are likely to be original material.

Tree up to 10 m tall. Vegetative branchlets terete or quadrangular, 3–5 mm diam; bark dull, smooth to slightly ribbed, sparsely glandular or verrucose, persistent. Leaf lamina up to 15 by 7.7 cm, ovate; base symmetric, cordate or cuneate; apex acute or short acuminate, acumen flat; margin flat to slightly undulate; coriaceous; drying reddish brown above; primary vein (midrib) up to 1.5 mm wide; secondary veins open, 7–14 each side of primary vein, c. 11 mm apart; intramarginal vein strongly arched, c. 6 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 subsessile to sessile, c. 3 mm long, adaxially strongly grooved. Inflorescence terminal, cymose panicle, 2.5–7 by 2–7 cm, 3–5 flowers per anthopodium; hypopodium c. 5 mm long; main inflorescence axis c. 1 mm wide, terete, dull, smooth; bracts deciduous, c. 2 mm long. Hypanthium stipitate, stipe c. 3 mm long; obconic; c. 12 by 8 mm, dull, dotted glands visible, slightly ribbed. Sepals 4, c. 8 by 8 mm, subcircular, persistent, free. Petals not seen. Stamens many, more than 50, outermost stamens c. 2 cm long; filaments free, creamy white; anther sacs narrowly elliptic. Style c. 2 cm long. Fruit red when ripe, smooth, plane, depressed spheroidal, up to 1.8 by 1.4 cm.

Distribution & Ecology — Vanuatu (Malampa province: Paama; Shefa province: Efate; Tafea province: Aneityum). Syzygium samarangense is a widely cultivated species and its natural range has not been established unequivocally ( Smith 1985). In Vanuatu, the species appears quite common along the coastal zone (pers. observ.) and appears to be restricted to the northern islands of the archipelago.

Vernacular names — Nakavika (Efate), indahu (Aneityum).

Uses — Edible fruit.

Notes — 1. Flowers have been recorded between July and August, and fruit in July.

2. Syzygium samarangense could be misidentified as S. richii and the two may be distinguished as follows: S. samarangense : leaf up to 15 by 7.7 cm, vegetative branchlet terete or quadrangular but not winged, hypanthium c. 12 by 8 mm; S. richii : leaf up to 23.5 by 13.2 cm, vegetative branchlet quadrangular with wings, hypanthium c. 28 by 20 mm.