Eugenia infuscata Valdemarin & Mazine

Valdemarin, Karinne Sampaio, Mazine, Fiorella F. & Souza, Vinicius Castro, 2024, Eugenia (Myrtaceae) from Reserva Natural Vale, Espírito Santo, a center of plant endemism in the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest, Phytotaxa 651 (1), pp. 1-79 : 40-43

24. Eugenia infuscata Valdemarin & Mazine sp. nov. ( Fig. 13D , 16 , 17 ).

Type:— BRAZIL. Espírito Santo: Linhares, Reserva Natural Vale, Estrada Flamengo , 14 December 2006, fl., D.A. Folli 5417 (holotype CVRD!; isotypes HUFSJ!, SORO!) .

Diagnosis: — Eugenia infuscata is morphologically related to E. francavilleana O.Berg (1861: 686) due to its leaf blades shape and size and indumentum on floral parts. However, it can be distinguished by the leaf blades puberulent on both sides (vs. glabrous in E. francavilleana ), innermost marginal vein 1.5–5 mm from the edge (vs. up to 2 mm), bracteoles ovate (vs. lanceolate), and pedicels up to 5 mm long (vs. 5 mm or longer), fruit dark purple when ripe (vs. red).

Shrubs or trees 0.5–6 m tall. Twigs pubescent or puberulent when young, glabrescent; trichomes brownish or whitish. Young leaves pubescent or puberulent; trichomes brownish. Leaves with petioles 2.5–5 mm long, slightly canaliculate or plane adaxially, puberulent; blades 40–95 × 15–50 mm, elliptic or narrow-ovate, rare narrow-elliptic or ovate, discolor when dry, lighter abaxially, not glaucous and puberulent adaxially or pubescent or puberulent abaxially; bases obtuse or rounded, rare acute; apices acute or acuminate, rare caudate; midvein slightly sulcate or plane adaxially and raised abaxially, puberulent on both surfaces; secondary veins 9–13 at each side, slightly raised on both surfaces, first pair confluent with the marginal vein; marginal veins two, the innermost 1.5–5 mm from the plane or slightly revolute and without thickening margin; oil glands slightly raised or inconspicuous adaxially and raised abaxially. Inflorescences axillary, fascicle, sessile or with peduncle up to 1 mm long, rachis up to 5 mm long, pubescent; bracts 0.5–1 mm long, ovate, puberulent, persistent in the fruit; 4–10 flowers; pedicels 2.5–5 mm long, puberulent; bracteoles 1–1.5 mm long, free or connate by ca. 1 mm long at the base, ovate, apices obtuse, puberulent, not reflexed, persistent in the fruit; trichomes brownish or whitish. Flower buds 2–3 mm in diameter. Flowers with smooth or slightly costate, pubescent hypanthia; calyx lobes 4, free, 1.5–3 × 1.5–2 mm, ovate, apices obtuse or rounded, pubescent; petals 4, obovate, oil glands evident; staminal ring puberulent; stamens with filaments 2.5–6 mm, anthers oblong; style 3.5–7 mm, glabrous, stigma punctiform; ovary 2-locular, ovules 9–13 per locule, locule internally glabrous. Fruits 3.5–6 × 3.5–8 mm, globose or depressed-globose, smooth or slightly costate, puberulent, dark purple when ripe; seed 1–2 per fruit, 3–5 × 3–4.5 mm, globose or ellipsoid, testa smooth.

Specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Bahia: Mun. Conde, Estrada Barra do Tariri, Sítio do Conde, 23 March 2001, fr., K.R.B. Leite 148 (ESA!, HUEFS!). Espírito Santo: Mun. Aracruz, Reserva Biológica de Comboios, 13 November 1991, fr., O.J. Pereira 2423 (RB!, VIES!); 27 July 1992, fl., O.J. Pereira 3585 (RB!, VIES!); 28 October 1992, fr., O.J. Pereira 4016 (RB!, VIES!); Mun. Conceição da Barra, Fazenda Jequitaia, Mata de Regista seca sobre cordão arenoso, 17 January 2012, fl., A.O. Giaretta 1155 (SORO!, VIES!); ibid., Parque Estadual de Itaúnas, Mata em regeneração, 27 April 2000, fl., O.J. Pereira 6199 (SORO!, VIES!); ibid., Mata sobre duna seca, 27 April 2000, fr., O.J. Pereira 6174 (SORO!, VIES!); ibid., Mata não inundada, restinga, 30 March 2000, fl. and fr., O.J. Pereira 6126 (SORO!, VIES!); Mun. Itapemirim, Rodovia do Sol, Restinga, 16 May 2010, fl., D.A. Folli 6624 (CVRD!, RB!, SORO!); Mun. Linhares, Reserva Natural Vale – Aceiro após a estrada Murici, 26 January 2017, fr., K.S. Valdemarin 887 (ESA!); ibid., 26 January 2017, fr., K.S. Valdemarin 884 (ESA!); ibid., Aceiro com Catelã e João Pedro, 17 December 2003, fl., D.A. Folli 4717 (CVRD!, HUFSJ!, SORO!, UB!); ibid., Aceiro Parajú, 03 April 2008, fr., M.C. Souza 655 (CVRD!, ESA!, MBML!, RB!, SORO!); ibid., 03 April 2008, fr., M.C. Souza 656 (CVRD!, HUFSJ!, SORO!); ibid., 30 November 2006, fl., E.J. Lucas 939 (CVRD!, ESA!, HUFSJ!, K!, RB!, SORO!, UB!); ibid., 30 November 2006, fl., E.J. Lucas 950 (CVRD!, ESA!, HUFSJ!, RB!, SORO!); ibid., Estrada Bomba d’água, 09 February 1999, fr., E.N. Lughadha 184a (CVRD!, ESA!, HUFSJ!, NY!, RB!, SORO!, SP!, SPF!); ibid., 15 December 1997, fl., D.A. Folli 3083 (CVRD!, HUFSJ!, SORO!); ibid., final, 13 August 2015, F.F. Mazine 1276 (SORO!); ibid., Estrada Flamengo, 05 April 2006, fr., M.B. Paciencia 2307 (CVRD!, ESA!, RB!); ibid., trilha ao lado esquerdo, próximo a torre, 11 December 2016, fl., K.S. Valdemarin 371 (ESA!); ibid., Estrada Jueirana Vermelha, 07 January 2010, fr., D.A. Folli 6528 (CVRD!, HUFSJ!, SORO!); ibid., 20 April 2011, fr., J.C. Lopes 273 (ESA!, HUEFS!); ibid., Próximo ao rio Barra Seca, 25 January 2017, fl. and fr., K.S. Valdemarin 822 (ESA!); ibid., Próximo ao rio Barra Seca, 25 January 2017, fr., K.S. Valdemarin 833 (ESA!); ibid., Próximo ao rio Barra Seca, 25 January 2017, fr., K.S. Valdemarin 837 (ESA!); ibid., Estrada Parajú, 21 December 2006, fr., E.J. Lucas 986 (CVRD!, ESA!, HUFSJ!); ibid., 30 November 2006, fr., E.J. Lucas 949 (CVRD!, ESA!, HUFSJ!, RB!, SORO!, UB!); ibid., 31 January 2017, fl., K.S. Valdemarin 972 (ESA!); Mun. São Mateus, Bairro Liberdade, 14 April 2007, fr., A.G. Oliveira & M.B. Faria 46 (RB!, VIES!); ibid., 16 January 2008, fl. and fr., A.G. Oliveira 189 (RB!, VIES!). Sergipe: Mun. Estância, Praia do Abaís, Na SE-218 sentido Praia do Abaís, logo após o entrocamento da Linha verde, ca. 2,5km antes da Praia do Abaís, do lado esquerdo, próximo à ponte, Mata de restinga a bordo, 12 March 2012, fl., C.E.B. Proença 4061 (UB!); ibid., 12 March 2012, fl., C.E.B. Proença 4062 (UB!); Mun. Ilha das Flores, Povoado Aroeira, Margem da Rodovia SE-204., M.C.V. Farias 134 (ASE!); Mun. Japaratuba, P.A. Ivan Ribeiro, 6 January 1997, fr., M.F. Landim 1129 (ASE!, UB!); Mun. Itaporanga d’Ajuda, Fazenda Trapsa, 15 December 2008, fl., I.S. Matos 112 (ASE!); ibid., 17 May 2011, fr., L.A. Gomes & E. Santos 134 (ASE!); Mun. Pacatuba, Restinga, 01 June 2012, fl., D.G. Oliveira 423 (ASE!); Mun. Santa Luzia do Itanhy, RPPN Mata do Castro, 10 April 2011, fr., L.A. Gomes 118 (ASE!, NY!); Mun. São Cristóvão, área de Mata na rodovia João Bebe Água, 10 July 1998, fr., A. Cruz 66 (ASE!).

Distribution and habitat: — Eugenia infuscata is known from collections from the states of Sergipe, Bahia, and Espírito Santo from areas of the Tabuleiro forest and Restinga in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest. In the RNV, the species is found in the Muçununga and Campo Nativo vegetation.

Phenology: —Flowering in November through June; fruiting in October through July, frequently collected with flowers and fruits simultaneous ( Fig. 4 ).

Etymology: —The specific epithet alludes to the colour of leaf blades when dry, which are dark brown adaxially.

Conservation status: — Eugenia infuscata is known from the Tabuleiro forest of Espírito Santo through Restinga vegetation of Bahia and Sergipe. Most of the localities occur within protected areas (RNV, Reserva Biológica de Comboios, Parque Estadual de Itaúnas, and RPPN Mata do Castro), however their surroundings are under anthropic pressure (Fundação SOS Mata Atlântica and Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais 2017), and the known gatherings could be the only ones remaining. The extent of occurrence (EOO) is 48,278.121 km 2 and area of occupancy (AOO) is 44 km ². Considering that there are two main regions of gatherings with a gap between them, the EOO doesn’t represent the real occurrence of the species and the anthropic pressure in the region, E. infuscata is provisory scored as endangered (EN) following the IUCN criteria B1ab(i, iii).

Taxonomic comments: —The species can be assigned to Eugenia sect. Umbellatae due to its fasciculate inflorescences and bracteoles persistent in the fruit. Eugenia infuscata was identified in herbaria as Eugenia brejoensis , a species from section Racemosae ( Giaretta & Peixoto 2014, Proença et al. 2014), probably based on its racemose inflorescence with more than 2 pair of flowers. However, E. infuscata can be distinguished by its leaf blades puberulent adaxially with plane to slightly revolute margin (vs. leaf blades glaucous or glabrate adaxially with revolute and undulate margin), camptrodromous-brochidodromous leaf venation (vs. acrodromous-brochidodromous, Fig. 15C, D ), inflorescences sessile or with peduncles up to 1 mm long (vs. raceme inflorescences with peduncle longer than 3 mm long), and pedicels more than twice the length of the principal axil internode (vs. less than twice the length of the principal axil internode), fruits globose or depressed-globose shorter than 10 mm (vs. ellipsoid and longer than 10 mm, see paratype K. Andrade 124). Eugenia infuscata is distinguished from all other Eugenia sect. Umbellatae occurring in the Muçununga, Campo Nativo and Restinga vegetation by its leaf blades at least puberulent adaxially which are markedly discolor, dark brown adaxially, with the innermost marginal vein more than 1.5 mm from the edge, bracteoles ovate, inflorescences axillary and with 4–10 flowers, flowers with pubescent hypanthia, pedicels up to 5 mm long, calyx lobes longer than 1.5 mm, and fruits globose to depressed-globose less than 10 mm.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Phenological diagram of Eugenia species from Reserva Natural Vale, Espírito Santo, Brazil. Flowering periods are represented by dark red border triangles, fruiting in grey filled triangles, and “n” is the number of observations.

FIGURE 13. A. Flowering branch of Eugenia florida (K.S. Valdemarin s.n.), B. Flowering branch of Eugenia guanabarina (A. Giaretta s.n.), C. Flowering branch of Eugenia hispidiflora (K.S. Valdemarin 747), D. Fruiting branch of Eugenia infuscata (K.S. Valdemarin 1226).

FIGURE 15. Dry specimen of Eugenia handroi.

FIGURE 16. Holotype of Eugenia infuscata Valdemarin & Mazine.

FIGURE 17.A.Flowering branch of Eugenia infuscata (K.S. Valdemarin 972), B. Fruiting branch of E. infuscata (K.S.Valdemarin 833), C. Camptodromous-brochidodromous venation of Eugenia infuscata leaf blades (E.N. Lughadha 184a), D. Acrodromous-brochidodromous venation of Eugenia brejoensis leaf blades (D.A. Folli 4260).