Eugenia schatzii 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 : 114

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

Frutex ad 3 m altus. Folia persistentia, opposita; lamina oblonga, 22-26 cm longa, 7.9-11.2 cm lata, apice obtusa, interdum abrupte-acuminata, basi rotundatis ad obtusa, supra et infra glabra; petiolo 9-12 mm longo. Inflorescentia ramiflora, umbella 3-6 flora, pedicela 5-13 mm longa. Flores bisexualis; gemmae globosa, 13-19 mm lata; flos calyce 8-10 mm longo, lobulis 4, depresse-ovatis, 5-6 mm longis; petala rosea, late-depresse-ovata, 15-17 mm longa, 18-19 mm lata; filamenta alba, ca. 10 mm longa. Fructus non visi.

TYPUS. — Miller, Rokotozafy, Schatz, Badré & Randrianasolo 3330, Madagascar, Antsiranana prov., Réserve Naturelle Marojejy, along the trail to the summit of Marojejy Est, NW of Mandena between the edge of the Réserve and the first camp, wet, evergreen forest, 225 m, 14°27’S, 49°17’E, 4 Oct. 1988 (holo-, MO; iso-, P, TAN) .

Shrub 3 m tall, the branches glabrous. Leaves persistent, opposite; blades oblong, 22-26 cm long, 7.9-11.2 cm wide, the apex obtuse and sometimes abruptly acuminate, the base rounded to obtuse, the margin entire, slightly revolute, both surfaces glabrous and evidently glandular punctate, the venation brochidodromous, the midrib prominent, strongly impressed above, raised and sharply ridged below, the secondary veins indistinct, 15-20 per side, more or less straight and parallel, at an angle of 60-80° from the midrib, uniting to form a weak intramarginal vein 1.5-3 mm from the margin; petioles 9- 12 mm long, ca. 3 mm thick, canaliculate on the adaxial surface. Inflorescences borne on the leafy branches or ramiflorous beneath the leaves, umbels of 3-6 flowers, pedicels 5-13 mm long, 2 small bracteoles ca. 0.5 mm long borne at the articulation with the base of the flower. Flowers bisexual; buds globose, 13-19 mm in diameter; calyx tube green, 8-10 mm long, 6-9 mm in diameter, lobes 4, green near the base, white to pink toward the margin, depressed ovate, 5- 6 mm long, 9-11 mm wide, densely glandular punctate, more sparsely so toward the apex of the lobes; petals pink, free, widely depressed ovate, 15-17 mm long, 18-19 mm wide, rounded at the apex, with evenly scattered oil dots in the central portion of the outer surface; filaments white, ca. 10 mm long, the anthers ca. 0.5 mm long; ovary 2-locular, 6-9 mm long, 7-9 mm broad; style 12- 15, the stigma not distinctly enlarged from the end of the style. Fruits unknown. — Fig. 2 .

Eugenia schatzii most closely resembles Perrier de la Bâthie 15478, the type of Eugenia diospyroides H. Perrier collected at Tsaratanana. When PERRIER DE LA BÂTHIE (1952) described E. diospyroides he cited four collections (his own numbers 6399, 6485, 15478, and 17461) without clear indication of which was the type. Examination of the specimens at P reveals that only Perrier de la Bâthie 15478 is annotated as the type so it is considered here to represent the holotype. It also appears that the other cited specimens may not be conspecific and the taxonomy of this group will require more available collections and further study to resolve.

Eugenia schatzii differs from E. diospyroides in its larger leaves (22-26 × 7.9-11.2 cm vs. 13-21 × 4-6.5 cm) that are more coriaceous in texture and less often acuminate at the apex. In addition, although PERRIER DE LA BÂTHIE (1952) described E. diospyroides as having petioles 5-10 mm long, they actually measure 16-20 mm on the type specimen, much longer than the 9-12 mm long petioles of E. schatzii . While the inflorescences and overall appearance of the flowers of the two are relatively similar, the pedicels of E. schatzii are only 5- 13 mm long while the pedicels of E. diospyroides are up to 25 mm long. The petals of E. schatzii (15-17 × 18-19 mm) are almost twice as large as those of E. diospyroides . Although the main differences between the two are size characters, E. schatzii appears to be quite distinct in its larger leaves and petals, but shorter petioles and pedicels.

Eugenia schatzii is named in honor of George E. SCHATZ, who first introduced me to the Flora of the Marojejy, and whose studies have contributed so much to our knowledge of the Malagasy Flora.

Figures

Fig. 2. — Eugenia schatzii J.S. Mill.: A, vegetative branch; B, fertile branch with ramiflorous inflorescence; C, flower. From Miller et al. 3330 (MO).