Six new species of Eugenia (Myrtaceae) from the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil
Author
Costa-Lima, James Lucas Da
Author
Chagas, Earl Celestino De Oliveira
text
Phytotaxa
2018
2018-10-29
373
3
211
220
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.373.3.4
journal article
302568
10.11646/phytotaxa.373.3.4
ff105eab-bb0b-4b22-a1a8-54359d340172
1179-3163
13728570
4.
Eugenia jussara
Costa-Lima
& E.C.O.Chagas,
sp. nov.
(
Fig. 2E–H
)
Eugenia jussara
resembles
E. anthropophaga
and
E. speciosa
but differs by the fruit pedicels swollen (
vs
. non-swollen in
E. anthropophaga
and
E. speciosa
) at the base, and pyriform (
vs
. subglobose and globose, respectively) fruits that are slightly 8-costate (
vs
. deeply 8- costate and smooth, respectively).
Type:
—
BRAZIL
.
Alagoas
: Mun. Viçosa, Fazenda Jussara,
25 November 2010
(fr),
E
.
C
.
O
. Chagas,
M
.
C
.
S
. Mota
[as
Chagas-Mota
]
&
J
.
M
. Ferreira 9627
(
holotype
MAC
!,
isotype
UFRN
).
Trees, ca.
8 m
tall; bark ridged and exfoliating; branches pubescent, trichomes simple, ferruginous when young, greyish to brown. Petioles
5–11 mm
long, pubescent. Leaf blades 4.6–9.6 ×
1.8–3.4 cm
, elliptic, membranaceous to chartaceous, with minute glandular dots on both surfaces, slightly discolorous, glabrescent adaxially, pubescent abaxially in young leaves, glabrescent in mature leaves, apex cuspidate, margin slightly revolute, base acute; midvein impressed adaxially, prominent abaxially, pubescent at base on abaxial surface, secondary veins 10–14 per side, poorly visible on both surfaces, the marginal vein
0.5–1.5 mm
from the margin. Flowers axillary, 1–2 per node; pedicels
1.6–3 cm
long, pubescent, base swollen during fruit development; floral bracts
3–8 mm
long, linear, pubescent, indumentum ferruginous, without dots, often persistent at base of the fruits; hypanthium pubescent; sepals 4, in unequal pairs, the outer ones 3–4 ×
1.5–2 mm
, the inner ones 1.5–2.4 ×
0.5–1.5 mm
, triangular, pubescent on both surfaces, apex acuminate; petals not seen; stamens not seen. Fruits 15–22 ×
8–16 mm
, pyriform, glabrescent, glandular-rugose, slightly 8-costate, pale green with variegations of deep green in the costae when immature, crowned by the calyx lobes, lobes erect; 1-seeded.
Etymology:
—The specific epithet refers to the
type
locality, Fazenda Jussara.
Distribution and habitat:
—Known only from the
type
locality in the state of
Alagoas
, northeastern
Brazil
, inhabiting in rainforest subcanopy.
Conservation status:
—Critically Endangered [CR B12ab(i,ii,iii)], according to IUCN (2017) criteria. The single population known for this species is strongly threatened by habitat fragmentation because of the historical destruction of the natural landscape to cultivate sugar cane. The region also currently suffers from extensive cattle farming.
Discussion:
—
Eugenia jussara
is most morphologically similar to
Eugenia anthropophaga
and belongs to
Eugenia
sect.
Speciosae
.
Features that distinguish these species are in the comments under
E. anthropophaga
.
Eugenia jussara
is also similar to
E. speciosa
Cambessèdes (1832: 351)
and the features that distinguish both are presented in the above diagnosis.