Eugenia cupulata Amshoff (1942: 160)

Amorim, Gabriela Dos Santos, Barbosa, Maria Regina De Vasconcellos, Jr, Eduardo Bezerra De Almeida & Thomas, William Wayt, 2022, Taxonomic study of Myrtaceae in forest fragments in Amazonian Maranhão, Brazil, Phytotaxa 568 (1), pp. 27-60 : 35

5. Eugenia cupulata Amshoff (1942: 160) .

Type:— SURINAME. Brokopondo, Brownsberg, C. J. Zaandam 6428 (holotype: U [0005014]) .

Trees or shrubs 5.4– 10 m. Twigs glabrous. Leaves with petioles 8–22 mm long, glabrous, unchanneled; blades elliptic to broadly so, lanceolate, ovate or oblong, 12.9–22.4 × 5–10 cm, glabrous adaxially and glabrous or sparsely pubescent abaxially, the indumentum brownish-red, chartaceous, discolorous, sometimes lustrous adaxially, darker abaxially; glands not seen; base cuneate, rounded or obtuse; apex acute, cuneate, obtuse or cuspidate; midvein adaxially flat; lateral veins prominent abaxially, not arched, 12 to 15 pairs; intra-marginal vein 1–6 mm from the margin, margin flat. Inflorescence axillary, raceme simple, the axis 2.7–4.8 cm, pubescent, the indumentum brownish-red, bracts not seen, caducous before anthesis; pedicels 5–6 mm long, pubescent; bracteoles deltate, 1.5–2 × 1–2 mm, pubescent, persistent in the fruit; flower buds globose, 4–7 × 5 mm, not constricted above ovary; calyx-lobes free, four, orbicular, 1.5–2 × 1.8–3 mm, pubescent, not reflexed, persistent in the fruit; ovary 2-locular. Immature fruits globose, 0.5–0.8 × 0.6–0.9 cm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, surface smooth.

Note:— Eugenia cupulata may be recognized by its adaxially flat midvein; intra-marginal vein 1–6 mm from the margin; a simple raceme with brownish-red pubescence; globose flower buds; and free, pubescent calyx-lobes.

Distribution and habitat:— Known from Bolivia, French Guiana, Suriname, Venezuela, central, northeastern and northwestern Brazil (Acre, Amazonas, Maranhão, Pará and Rondônia states) (POWO 2020, Flora do Brasil 2020). In Amazonian Maranhão, E. cupulata was found growing in “terra firme” forest on rocky soil.

Phenology:— Flowering in February and March and fruiting in April and June.

Specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Maranhão: São Luís , 2°34’38” S, 44°12’04” W, February-March 1939 (fl.), R.L. Fróes 11789 ( NY!) ; 1940 (fr.), R.L. Froes 11864 ( NY!) . Arredores de Estiva , 08 August 1980 (st.), M.G. Silva 5738 ( MG!) .

Additional specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Maranhão: Carolina , 7°19’58” S, 47°28’10” W, 12 March 2016 (fr.), A.C. Sevilha 5811 (CEN, image). Lorêto, “Ilha das Balsas” , 140 m, 7°30’ S, 45°3’ W, 01 June 1962 (fr.), G. Eiten 4810 ( NY!). Pará: Santarém, Km 35 da estrada do Palhao, arredores do Acampamento do Igarapé Curupira , 04 September 1969 (fl.), M.B. Silva 2493 with R. Souza ( NY!) .