Eugenia palmarina 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 : 218-219

6. Eugenia palmarina Costa-Lima & E.C.O.Chagas, sp. nov. ( Fig. 3E–H )

Eugenia palmarina is similar to E. barrana , but differs by the leaf blades widely elliptic (vs. narrowly elliptic), with minute glandular dots more visible adaxially (vs. visible on both surfaces), 12–15 (vs. 15–18) secondary veins per side, marginal vein distant 3–5 (vs. 1–1.2) mm from the margin, and bracts 1.6–3 (vs. ca. 1) mm long that are triangular or linear (vs. hemispheric).

Type: — BRAZIL. Alagoas: Mun. Murici, Estação Ecológica de Murici, Fazenda Santa Fé, 6 July 2012 (fl), M. C. S. Mota, E. C. O. Chagas & J. W. A. Silva 11734 (holotype MAC!, isotype UFRN).

Trees, 3–5 m tall; bark exfoliating; branches glabrous, greyish. Petioles 7–9 mm long, glabrous. Leaf blades 5.8–11.6 × 2.8–5 cm, widely elliptic, folded in half, chartaceous, with glandular minute dots more visible adaxially, slightly discolorous, glabrous, apex acute to slightly cuspidate, margin slightly revolute, base acute to obtuse; midvein prominent and within a channel adaxially, prominent abaxially, secondary veins 12–15 per side, poorly visible on both surfaces, marginal vein 3–5 mm from the margin, intramarginal vein 1–1.5 mm from the margin. Inflorescences axillary, racemiform, 4–8 flowers arranged in opposite crossed pairs on the axis, with umbelliform appearance, axis 3–15 mm long, indumentum glandular and lanose, with mixed glandular and simple trichomes; bracts 1.6–3 mm long, triangular or linear, deciduous at fruiting, indumentum glandular and lanose, pale green when fresh and rufescent when dry; pedicels 1–2.2 cm long, becoming woody as fruit develops, indumentum glandular and lanose, cinereous when fresh and rufescent when dry; bracteoles 1.5–2.5 mm long, ovate, cymbiform, with visible keel, acuminate at apex, often persistent at base of fruit, indumentum glandular and lanose, pale green when fresh and ferruginous when dry; hypanthium with mixed, glandular and simple trichomes, indumentum glandular and lanose on most of the surface, glandular and sericeous at base, cinereous when fresh and ferruginous when dry; sepals 4, in unequal pairs, the outer ones 4–6 × 3–6 mm, the inner ones 5–10 × 4–6 mm, hemispheric, obtuse at apex, indumentum glandular and lanose, cinereous when young and ferruginous during fruit development; petals not seen; stamens not seen; ovary not seen. Fruits 10–17 × 11–16 mm, globose, woody, smooth, indumentum glandular and lanose, cinereous when fresh and ferruginous when dry, crowned by the calyx lobes, lobes erect; 1-seeded.

Etymology: —The epithet alludes to the Quilombo dos Palmares, the most important known black and Afrodescendant slave refuge in Brazil ( Espindola 1871).

Distribution and habitat: —Occurs in the state of Alagoas, northeastern Brazil, where it is known only from the type locality, in rainforest subcanopy.

Conservation status: —Critically Endangered [CR B12ab(i,ii,iii)], according to IUCN (2017) criteria. The threats to the populations of this species are the same as for Eugenia curuba , which occurs in the same area.

Paratype: — BRAZIL. Alagoas: Mun. Murici, Estação Ecológica de Murici, Fazenda Santa Fé, 6 July 2012 (fr), M.C.S. Mota et al. 11733 (MAC!, RB!, UFRN).

Discussion: — Eugenia palmarina belongs to E. sect. Umbellatae, sensu Mazine et al. (2016), because of its umbelliform racemes. It is similar to Eugenia barrana Sobral (2013: 46) by the inflorescences with flowers arranged in opposite crossed pairs on the axis, ovate bracts with a visible keel and an acuminate apex, and rufescent floral bud indumentum when dry. The distinction between both is presented in the above diagnosis. Although E. barrana and E. palmarina occur in rainforests, they do not occur sympatrically; E. barrana is known from southern Bahia, in areas bordering the state with Minas Gerais ( Sobral 2013), and E. palmarina has only been recorded in Alagoas.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Eugenia mammifera. A. Fruiting branch, in sicco (scale: 4 cm). B. Flowering branch. C. Old flowers (without petals and stamens). D. Immature fruit. Eugenia palmarina. E. Flowering branch, highlighting the inflorescence architecture. F. Inflorescence. G. Immature fruit. H. Flowering branch, in sicco (scale: 5 cm). All photographs by the authors.