Eugenia marieensis Sobral & M.A.D.Souza, 2018

Souza, Maria Anália Duarte De & Sobral, Marcos, 2018, Six new Eugenia (Myrtaceae) from Amazonas, Brazil, Phytotaxa 349 (1), pp. 18-30 : 24-26

4. Eugenia marieensis Sobral & M.A.D.Souza , sp. nov.

Type:— BRAZIL. Amazonas: São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Alto Rio Negro, boca do rio Marié , 4 December 1987, H.C. de Lima, R.P. de Lima & A.M. Neto 3380 (holotype INPA! , isotype RB 433626 ! ). Figure 4 .

Diagnosis:—This species is related to Eugenia esteliensis , but differs by its glabrous blades (versus pilose at least abaxially in E. esteliensis ), these narrower (to 2.5 times longer than wide vs. 3–4 times), and shortly acuminate (the acumen to 13% of the blade’s length vs. 20–25%), inflorescences with terminal flower absent (vs. present) and larger flowers (calyx lobes to 6 mm vs. to 3 mm). It may also resemble E. macrosperma , but differs by its glabrous blades (vs. visibly pilose at least abaxially in E. macrosperma , where the blades are rufescent), which are relatively shorter (to 85–100 × 40–50 mm vs. 95–140 × 45–75 mm) but have proportionally longer petioles (to 11–15% of the blade’s length vs. less than 10%).

Description:—Tree to 18 m. Twigs terete, when young densely covered by simple curly rufescent trichomes to 0.3 mm, these falling with age and then the twigs grey. Leaves with petioles 11–14 × 1.5–1.8 mm, adaxially sulcate, with trichomes as the twigs; blades elliptic, 85–100 × 40–48 mm, 2–2.5 times longer than wide, glabrous, discolorous, dull brown adaxially and dull grey and somewhat waxy abaxially, sometimes conduplicate when dry especially at the distal portion; glandular dots blackish, smaller than 0.05 mm in diameter, about 20/mm², visible adaxially; base widely cuneate; apex acuminate in 10–13 mm; midvein impressed adaxially and strongly raised and longitudinally wrinkled abaxially; lateral veins 9 to 12 at each side, leaving the midvein at angles 45–60°, finely raised and scarcely visible on both sides; marginal vein with the same gauge of the lateral ones, 1.5–2.5 mm from the margin, the margin itself strongly revolute. Inflorescences ramiflorous, racemiform, the axis 10–25 × 1–1.5 mm, with 4 to 10 flowers, the axis, bracts, pedicels, bracteoles and flowers densely and uniformly covered by simple rufescent trichomes to 0.2 mm; bracts triangular, 2–2.8 × 0.8–1 mm; pedicels 2.5–3 × 1–1.2 mm; bracteoles ovate or oblate, 1.8–2.5 × 2–2.5; flower buds obovate, to 10 × 8 mm; open flowers not seen; calyx lobes four, in two very unequal pairs, the outer one widely ovate, 3 × 4–4.5 mm, the inner one oblate, 5–6 × 8 mm, with trichomes to 0.1 mm adaxially; petals rounded or widely elliptic, to 6 × 6–7 mm, visibly glandulose, mostly glabrous but with visible cilia to 0.1 mm; stamens not counted, the filaments to 5 mm, the anthers elliptic, 0.9–1 × 0.4, eglandular; staminal ring 4–4.5 mm wide, with trichomes to 0.2 mm; calyx tube absent; style to 10 mm, glabrous, the stigma punctiform; ovary top glabrous, slightly but visibly elevated over the staminal ring, to 2 mm in diameter and 1 mm high; ovary with two glabrous locules and 10 to 11 ovules per locule. Fruits not seen.

Distribution, habitat and phenology:—This species is known only from the type collection, from floodable forests (“igapós”) from São Gabriel da Cachoeira, in the northwestern portion of the state of Amazonas; flowers were collected in December.

Conservation:—Considering the fact that the species is known only from one collection made thirty years ago, it must be scored DD (Data Deficient) according to IUCN criteria ( IUCN 2001).

Etymology:—The epithet is derived from the type location, river Marié.

Affinities:—This species morphologically resembles the Nicaraguan Eugenia esteliensis Barrie (2005: 16 ; type image MO 2289063) and the southeastern Brazilian Eugenia macrosperma De Candolle (1828: 277 ; type image M 0171008), with which it is compared in the diagnosis. Considering its racemiform inflorescences with pedicels about the same size as the internodes of the inflorescence axis, this species must be assigned to section Racemosae O. Berg (1855 –1856: 278), according to the phylogenetic scheme of Mazine et al. (2016).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Eugenia marieensis (holotype; scale: 50 mm).