Eugenia florida De Candolle (1828: 283)

Amorim, Gabriela Dos Santos, Barbosa, Maria Regina De Vasconcellos, Jr, Eduardo Bezerra De Almeida & Thomas, William Wayt, 2022, Taxonomic study of Myrtaceae in forest fragments in Amazonian Maranhão, Brazil, Phytotaxa 568 (1), pp. 27-60 : 38

9. Eugenia florida De Candolle (1828: 283) .

Type:— BRAZIL. Amazonas, “in Brasilia ad ripam flum. Amazonum”, C.F.P. Martius s.n. (holotype: M [0137662] ; isotype: M [0137663]) .

Shrubs 1–2.5 m. Twigs sparsely pubescent, the indumentum whitish. Leaves with petioles 4–10 mm long, pubescent, channeled; blades elliptic to broadly so, or oblanceolate, 11–15.3 × 4.3–5.1 cm, glabrous, membranaceous or subcoriaceous, concolorous; glands not seen; base cuneate or rounded; apex acute, acuminate, or attenuate; midvein adaxially sulcate; lateral veins visible abaxially, arched, 5 to 8 pairs; intra-marginal vein ca. 1–3 mm or less from the margin, margin flat. Inflorescence axillary, raceme simple, the axis 1.9–4.1 cm long, glabrescent; bracts lanceolate, 4–6 × 0.5–1 mm, persistent in the fruit, glabrous; pedicels 2–4 mm long, sparsely pubescent; bracteoles deltate, 2–6 × 0.5–2 mm, persistent in the fruit, glabrous; flower buds globose, 2 × 3.5 mm, not constricted above ovary; calyx-lobes free, four, ovate, ca. 2 mm, glabrous, not reflexed, persistent in the fruit; ovary not seen. Immature fruit globose, 2.7–3 × 2–2.8 cm, pubescent, surface smooth.

Note:— Eugenia florida may be recognized by its leaves with arched lateral veins and the first vein not confluent with the marginal vein; its glabrescent simple raceme; its globose fruits, which are pubescent and have a smooth surface. This species is morphologically related to E. densiracemosa but can be distinguished by its concolorous leaves (vs. discolorous), and its arched lateral veins (vs. not arched), with 5 to 8 pairs, visible abaxially (vs. 8 to 13 pairs, visible adaxially and abaxially).

Distribution and habitat:— Known from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela, and widely distributed in Brazil (POWO 2020, Flora do Brasil 2020). In Amazonian Maranhão, E. florida was found growing in “terra firme” forest.

Phenology:— Flowering in January and November and fruiting in March.

Specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Maranhão: Santa Luzia, Fazenda Cacique , 3°49’59” S, 46°04’00” W, 25 March 1983 (fr.), E.L. Taylor E1058 et al. ( MG!) .

Additional specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Maranhão: Mirador, lugarejo Boné, 6°23’33” S, 44°28’37” W, 16 November 1988 (fl.), F. Noberto 11 ( SLUI!). São Pedro dos Crentes, margem direita do rio Farinha , próximo à cidade, 6°50’03” S, 46°32’04” W, 11 January 2008 (fr.), G. Pereira-Silva 12506 (CEN, image). Pará: Peixe-Boi, colônia do Salgado, arredores do igarapé do Ubim, 1°11’38” S, 47°19’03” W, 22 January 1977 (fl.), M.G. da Silva 2854 ( NY!) .