Syzygium vieillardii N. Snow, Callm. & Byng, 2017

Snow, Neil, Byng, James W., Munzinger, Jérôme, Callmander, Martin W. & Dawson, John W., 2017, New Caledonian Piliocalyx transferred to Syzygium (Myrtaceae) with an updated conspectus of the species, Candollea 72 (2), pp. 239-248 : 246

Syzygium vieillardii N. Snow, Callm. & Byng , nom. nov.

Ξ Piliocalyx micranthus Brongn. & Gris in Bull. Soc. Bot. France 12: 186. 1865 [non Syzygium micranthum Thwaites ].

Typus: NEW CALEDONIA: Balade, Vieillard 519 (holo-: P [ P00522316 ]!; iso-: P [ P00522315 ]!) .

Shrubs to trees, up to 15 m. Bark unknown. Branchlets terete, emerging maroon. Petioles 8-11 mm. Leaf blades 5.0-8.5 × 3-5 cm, obovate to elliptic, bases cuneate, margins strongly sinuous and sometimes slightly revolute, apex acute to acuminate. Inflorescences c. 0.3-0.5 cm, few-flowered, terminal, axillary, sessile or subsessile. Hypanthium shape and length unconfirmed. Fruit length unconfirmed, cylindrical to obovoid, light green maturing to deep maroon.

Etymology. – This species is named in honour of Eugène Vieillard (1819-1896), a French naturalist and surgeon with the navy. He boarded a vessel to Tahiti in 1854 ( LIGNIER, 1905) and later to New Caledonia where he met Emile Deplanche (1824-1875) ( MCKEE & MCKEE, 1981). During his stay in New Caledonia between 1855 and 1867, he collected thousands of specimens, many of which are types (e.g., MORAT, 2010). Vieillard was a respected botanist, published several works on the New Caledonian flora, and was appointed director of the Caen Botanical Garden after he came back to France, where he served from 1871 to 1895 ( LIGNIER, 1905).

Notes. ‒ The petioles are quite thin and sulcate adaxially; the leaf blades can be irregularly folded upon drying (as in type material) and the secondary veins are obscure in fresh material.

Only one gathering is mentioned in the protologue and the specimen indicated above as holotype is marked as “type” at P, whereas the specimen indicated as isotype is not so marked. Both specimens bear the same handwriting and thus appear to be of the same gathering. We have no hesitation in calling these the holotype and isotype. Another specimen cited below with the same number, which bears a different label with somewhat different handwriting, was annotated by Guillaumin in 1938, but is not considered an isotype [P04633323].

In our view, Syzygium vieillardii resembles most closely S. concinnum (A.S. Sm.) Craven & Biffin (e.g., Smith 4373 [P00364630]!), a Fijian endemic. SMITH (1971) provided a detailed discussion of how that species differed from Piliocalyx wagapensis (= Syzygium lifuanum herein). In the absence of fresh material of S. concinnum for comparative purposes we maintain the two species as distinct.

Because the species is known from relatively few collections, more collections are badly needed. Little reliable locality information is provided with most specimens.

Additional specimens examined. ‒ NEW CALEDONIA. Prov. Nord: Glāhenwald am Ignambigipfel , 6.VI.1925, Däniker 1797 ( P [ P04633321 ], U [ U.1452575 ], Z [ Z-000092835 , Z-000092836 ]) ; Canala, Sentier Ciu-Coindé , 28.VIII.1969, MacKee 20639 ( MO-6452987 , NOU [ NOU013805 ]) ; Mandjélia , along lumber road S of radio tower , 5.X.1980, McPherson 3206 ( MO- 3225921 , NOU [ NOU013818 ]) ; Mt Aoupinié , 31.VIII.1978, Tirel 1361 ( MO-6452865 ) . Prov. Sud: bords de la Ouénaoué , 1904, Le Rat & Le Rat 2373 ( P [ P04633324 , P04633325 ]) ; Mts Koghis , 20.VII. 1982, McPherson 4685 ( MO-3220436 , NOU [ NOU031507 ]) . Sine loc.: Vieillard “A.C. 762” ( P [ P04633320 , P04633322 ]) ; Vieillard 762 ( P [ P04633322 ]) .