Eugenia manomboensis N. Snow, 2015

Snow, Neil, Callmander, Martin & Phillipson, Peter B., 2015, Studies of Malagasy Eugenia - IV: Seventeen new endemic species, a new combination, and three lectotypifications; with comments on distribution, ecological and evolutionary patterns, PhytoKeys 49, pp. 59-121 : 74

Eugenia manomboensis N. Snow sp. nov. holotype (Figure 15): http://www.tropicos.org/Image/100317960

Haec species a congeneris madagascariensibus petiolo longo, lamina foliari grandi elliptica, pedicello crasso atque fructu grandi globulari laevi distinguitur.

Type.

MADAGASCAR. Prov. Fianarantsoa: Région Atsimo-Atsinanana, Dist. Farafangana, comm. Ankarana, Réserve Spéciale de Manombo, parcelle I, forêt d’Anaviavy, 23°00'S, 47°44'E, 12 m, 17 Sep. 2005, R. Razakamala 2136 (holotype: MO-2590168! isotypes: KSP [KSP000043]!, P [P04776395]!, TAN).

Description.

Trees to 8 m tall. Foliage glabrous and without evident oil glands except as noted. Branchlets round to somewhat laterally compressed, drying brown to light brown; bark smooth but cracking slightly longitudinally. Leaves stiffly coriaceous, opposite or sometimes three per node, evenly distributed along branchlets, discolorous, somewhat glossy adaxially, matte abaxially. Axillary colleters absent. Petioles 25-35 mm, terete or slightly sulcate. Leaves 16-18 × 6.5-10.5 cm, elliptic, base slightly cuneate to mostly rounded, apex obtuse, surface and margin more or less flat; adaxial surface with impressed midvein in lower ½ to 2/3, becoming flush distally; abaxial surface with dense but small oil glands (faint, use high magnification); secondary veins indistinct, arising at 40-50° angle but mostly too faint to count with confidence; intramarginal vein indistinct to barely visible, 1.5-2.5 mm from margin at midpoint of blade. Inflorescence up to 7 cm, structure uncertain but evidently of triads or botryoids, these solitary in leaf axils. Pedicels 4-14 mm, stiff and thick. Flowers mostly unknown. Calyx lobes (from dried fruit) 4, 3-5 mm, broadly rounded (much broader than long in fruit), persistent in fruit. Fruit 25-30 × 25-30 mm, globose.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is derived from the Réserve Spéciale de Manombo, the only known occurrence of this prominent species.

Phenology.

Fruiting mid September; likely flowering by August (unconfirmed).

Distribution.

Known only from the type gathering in south-eastern Madagascar in Fianarantsoa from Réserve Spéciale de Manombo, near the coast (Fig. 7).

Habitat and ecology.

Dense, humid, low-altitude forest over lateritic soils.

Conservation status.

Eugenia manomboensis occurs in the Réserve Spéciale of Manombo. Considering its occurrence in a natural reserve, but also because it is known only from single subpopulation (AOO of 9 km2), Eugenia malcomberi is assigned a preliminary risk of extinction of “Vulnerable” [VU D2] following the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria ( IUCN 2012).

Comments.

Large-leaved but indetermined speicmens of Malagasy Eugenia with large fruits have not been matched closely with flowering material in some cases. However, given that none of the larger-leaved species have petioles as thick or as long as Eugenia manomboensis , no others are known from near the type locality, and no large-leaved species present globular fruits of this size, it appears that this species has not been named previously.

It seems likely that the large fruits of this tree are consumed by local widelife.