Myrcia summa ( McVaugh 1958: 89 ) M.F.Santos, 2016

Santos, Matheus F., Sano, Paulo T. & Lucas, Eve, 2016, Lectotypifications of some Nineteenth Century names and other nomenclatural updates in Myrcia s. l. (Myrtaceae), Phytotaxa 257 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

11. Myrcia summa ( McVaugh 1958: 89) M.F.Santos , comb. nov.

≡ Marlierea summa McVaugh. Type:— VENEZUELA. Amazonas: Cerro Sipapo (Paráque), 26–28 January 1949 (fl.), Maguire 28644 (holotype MICH!, isotypes NY!, S!, US! VEN [image!])

= Marlierea summa var. superior McVaugh (1958: 91) . Type:— VENEZUELA. Ilu-Tepui, Gran Sabana, 14 March 1952 (fl.), Maguire 33405 (holotype MICH!, isotype NY!)

= Marlierea summa var. calva McVaugh (1969: 69) . Type:— VENEZUELA. Bolívar: Chimantá Massif, 5 February 1955 (fl.), Steyermark 493 (holotype MICH!, isotypes F!, NY!, S!, US!)

= Marlierea vicina McVaugh (1969: 70) , syn. nov. Type:— GUIANA. Upper Mazaruni River Basin. Mt. Ayanganna, 7 August 1960 (fl.), Tillett 45172 (holotype MICH!, isotypes COL [image!], F!, NY!, S!, US!, VEN [image!])

As stated above, in light of evidence from recent phylogenetic studies in Myrcia s.l. (Lucas et al. 2011, Santos 2014), synonymization of Marlierea species in Myrcia is desirable. Furthermore, Myrcia summa has free calyx lobes and the hypanthium does not tear during anthesis, characteristics that do not match the typical ones found in Marlierea . The synonymization of Marlierea summa var. superior and Marlierea summa var. calva in Marlierea summa was previously proposed by Govaerts et al. (2008).

In the protologue of Marlierea vicina, McVaugh (1969: 70) highlighted morphological similarity with Marlierea summa : “(...) this plant resembles Marlierea summa , and perhaps a case could be made for considering it merely a well-marked variety of that species (...)”. The author described the species judging that it is the best option until more collections are analysed. More collections have been analysed for this study, including specimens from the type locality of M. vicina . Characteristics cited by McVaugh (1969) as distinctive of M. vicina relative to Myrcia summa (longer, darker, apressed trichomes, adaxial surface of leaves not foveolate, inflorescence with less flowers, flowers bigger and tetramerous) are variable in analysed specimens. Additionally, the species share a set of distinctive characteristics within clade 7: sympodial vegetative branching and at the base of the inflorescences, and inconspicuous venation on the adaxial leaf surfaces. It is therefore not possible to recognize M. vicina as a distinct taxon and the species is synonymized under Myrcia summa .