Eugenia jussara Costa-Lima

Costa-Lima, James Lucas Da & Chagas, Earl Celestino De Oliveira, 2018, Six new species of Eugenia (Myrtaceae) from the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil, Phytotaxa 373 (3), pp. 211-220 : 216

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.

Figures

FIGURE 2. E. curuba. A. Fruiting branch, in sicco (scale: 5 cm). B. Leaves, highlighting the glaucous abaxial surface. C. Fruiting branch. D. Fruits. Eugenia jussara. E. Immature fruit. F. Fruiting branch, highlighting the basally swollen fruit pedicels (arrows). G. Fruit in sicco, with surface detail. H. Fruiting branch, in sicco (scale: 5 cm).All photographs by the authors.