Eugenia randrianasoloi J.S. Mill., 2000

Miller, James S., 2000, New taxa and nomenclatural notes on the flora of the Marojejy Massif, Madagascar. IV. Myrtaceae: New species of Eugenia L., Adansonia (3) 22 (1), pp. 111-116 : 112

Eugenia randrianasoloi J.S. Mill. , sp. nov.

Arbor ad 10 m alta. Folia persistentia, opposit; lamina oblonga ad anguste-elliptica, 12.3-19.5(-26.5) cm longa, 3.8-7 cm lata, apice acuminata, basi obtusis ad acutis, supra et infra glabra; petiolo 3-6 mm longa. Inflorescentia cauliflora, umbella 15-25 flora, pedicela 10-20 mm longa. Flores bisexualis; gemmae globosa ad ovoidea, 3-5 mm lata; flos calyce ca. 2 mm longo, lobulis 4, late-ovatis, ca. 3 mm longis; petala rosea, ovata ad anguste-elliptica, 6.7-9 mm longa, 3-4 mm lata; filamenta alba, 6-7 mm longa. Fructus non visi.

TYPUS. — Miller & Randrianasolo 4298, Madagascar, Antsiranana prov., Réserve Naturelle de Marojejy, western portion of the base of Mt. Beondroka , wet, evergreen rainforest, 180-230 m, 14°27’S, 49°47’E, 20 Oct. 1989 (holo-, MO 3769577; iso-, P, TAN) .

Tree to 10 m tall, the branchlets slightly flattened, glabrous. Leaves persistent, opposite or the pairs slightly offset and appearing subopposite; leaf blades oblong to narrowly elliptic, 12.3-19.5 (-26.5) cm long, 3.8-7 cm wide, the apex abruptly acuminate, the acumen 1-15 mm long, the base obtuse to acute, the margin entire, both surfaces glabrous, the punctations small and scattered, the venation brochidodromous, the midrib strongly impressed above, raised well above the lower surface, the secondary veins 15-18 per side, more or less straight and parallel, at an angle of 60-70° from the midrib, coalescing at the apices in a series of loops to form a distinct intramarginal vein 2-4 mm from the margin; petioles 3- 6 mm long, 1.5-3 mm in diameter, corky and furrowed. Inflorescences borne along the main trunk, umbels of ca. 15-25 flowers, pedicels 10- 20 mm long, 2 small bracteoles ca. 0.5 mm long borne at the articulation with the base of the flower. Flowers bisexual; buds globose to ovoid, 3-5 mm in diameter, calyx tube ca. 2 mm long, 2 mm in diameter, lobes 4, widely-ovate, ca. 3 mm long, 3 mm wide, rounded at the apex, evenly glandular on the outer surface; petals pink, free, ovate to narrowly elliptic, 6.7-9 mm long, 3- 4 mm wide, acute to rounded at the apex, with 2- several nearly parallel veins running from the base through the central portion of the petals and a finer reticulum toward the margins, with evenly scattered oil dots in the central portion of the outer surface; filaments white, 6-7 mm long, the anthers ca. 0.5 mm long; ovary 2-locular, 1.5-2 mm tall, ca. 1 mm broad; style 8-9 mm long, slightly exceeding the anthers, stigma not distinctly enlarged from the end of the style. Fruits unknown. — Fig. 1.

D ISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. — Eugenia randrianasoloi is known only from the lowland forests between the Lokoho River and the southern slopes of the Marojejy massif from 180- 380 m.

PARATYPES. — MADAGASCAR: Humbert 22955, Antsiranana, vallée de la Lokoho près d’Ambalavoniho , 200-300 m, 9-10 Jan. 1949 (P); Miller, Rakotozafy, Schatz, Badré & Randrianasolo 3376, Antsiranana, Réserve Naturelle Marojejy, along the trail to the summit of Marojejy Est, NW of Mandena, 380 m, 14°27’S, 49°17’E, 5 Oct. 1988 (MO, P, TAN) .

Eugenia randrianasoloi most closely resembles Eugenia antongilensis H. Perrier , a species that occurs to the south and is known only from Rantabe, on the west coast of the Baie d’Antongil. Both species are small understory trees of eastern evergreen tropical forests with umbels borne along the main trunk. However the leaves of E. randrianasoloi (12-26.5 cm) average about half of the length of the leaves of E. antongilensis (30-35 cm). In addition, the flowers of E. randrianasoloi are larger (3-5 mm in bud) and borne on pedicels 10- 20 mm long, as opposed to the smaller flowers (ca. 2 mm in bud) on 7-12 mm long pedicels of E. antongilensis . The species is named in honor of Armand RANDRIANASOLO who has made several expeditions to Marojejy and has contributed to knowledge of Malagasy Sarcolaenaceae and Anacardiaceae .