Eugenia barriei 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 : 60-63

Eugenia barriei N. Snow sp. nov. holotype: (Figure 3): http://www.tropicos.org/Image/100314913

Haec species a congeneris madagascariensibus pedicellis gracilibus delicatis, foliis tenuiter coriaceis, floribus minutis atque hypanthio dense villoso distinguitur.

Type.

Madagascar. Prov. Mahajanga: Fiv. Port Bergé, Marosely, Bongolava, 15°38'58"S, 47°35'03"E, 217 m, 17 Nov. 2004, R. Razakamalala 1735 + R. Ramananjanahary & A. Rabezafy (holotype: MO-4849778!).

Description.

Shrubs to 3 m tall; bark of main bole unknown. Vegetative and reproductive parts (where indicated) bearing a moderately dense, shortish indumentum, the individual trichomes dibrachiate or not, appressed to somewhat reflexed (appearing villous), frequently irregularly contorted, whitish or reddish. Branchlets laterally compressed but becoming rounded, smooth, moderately short villous (hairs mostly reflexed and not dibrachiate) becoming glabrous, oil glands common and prominent (after indumentum falls away). Leaves opposite, mostly occurring in 2-4 pairs along seasonal growth of branchlet, thinly coriaceous, venation brochidodromous (invisible to obscure), discolorous, somewhat glossy above but matte below. Axillary colleters absent. Petioles 1.7-2.5 mm long, broadly sulcate above, moderately hairy towards base adaxially in sulcus. Leaf blades 0.9-2.0 (-2.7) × 0.6-0.9 cm, narrowly elliptic or elliptic to narrowly obovate, base cuneate, surface flat to slightly and irregularly (but broadly) sinuous on drying, margin flat or drying slightly revolute, apex obtuse; abaxial surface glabrescent, oil glands common (use magnification) and drying brownish and slightly sunken, midvein flush and becoming imperceptible towards apex; abaxial surface sparsely glabrescent, oil glands relatively sparse to moderate and somewhat less prominent than adaxially, secondary veins few and barely perceptible, the secondaries connected at their ends by a slightly arching pseudo-intramarginal vein 0.3-0.8 mm from leaf margin (i.e., lacking an intramarginal vein distinct from pseudo-intramarginal vein). Inflorescence a monad; the base of the flowering branchlets each with (2-)4-6 flowers arising alternately, each flower subtended by a short, hairy and somewhat ovate to broadly triangular caducous bract. Pedicels (5-)10-15(-20) mm long, 0.3-0.5 mm wide, round in transverse section, stiff, ascending, sparsely hairy (especially near base) to nearly glabrous, moderately glandular throughout, anthopodium present or absent. Bracteoles 2, linear, 1.0-1.2 × 0.3-0.5 mm, sparsely hairy. Hypanthium cupulate 2.0-2.5 mm long, 1.4-1.8 mm wide at base of calyx lobes, densely short-hairy, oil glands absent or sparse (and obscured by hairs); ovary apex glabrous. Calyx lobes 4, 1.5-1.9 mm, broadly ovate to rounded, glabrous on both faces apart from sparse apical hairs (white or reddish), strongly reflexed in athesis. Petals 4 (material scant), ca. 2.5 mm × 2 mm, obovate to widely obovate, glabrous on both faces apart from sparse apical hairs (contorted irregularly), oil glands absent. Staminal region (i.e., lacking a well-defined staminal ring) 1.6-1.8 mm diameter in anthesis, sparsely hairy (trichomes simple); stamens 35-45; filaments 1.5-2.5 mm; anther sacs 0.5-0.7 mm long, globose, basifixed, eglandular. Style 2.5-2.8 mm, glabrous or sparsely hairy basally; stigma narrow and only slightly capitate. Fruit unknown.

Etymology.

The specific epithet honors Dr. Fred Barrie (b. 1948) of the Missouri Botanical Garden in recognition of his contributions to our knowledge of Eugenia and other genera of Mesoamerican Myrtaceae (e.g., Barrie 2004, 2005).

Phenology.

Flowering confirmed only for the middle of November; fruiting likely late November through December.

Distribution.

Known only from near Port Bergé in Mahajanga Province (Figure 4).

Conservation status.

With only one collection known from Central-western Madagascar collected in an unprotected and threathened dry forest, Eugenia barriei is assigned a preliminary risk of extinction of "Critically Endangered" [CR A3c] following the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria ( IUCN 2012). In the absence of effective protection and the high human pressure on these forests, it is unlikely that the forest will persist beyond 3 generations of Eugenia barriei (ca. 30 years).

Comments.

The type specimen of Eugenia barriei initially was determined as Eugenia tropophylla H. Perrier. The latter species and the varieties described by Perrier de la Bâthie (1953a, b) do not represent a single taxon, which even a cursory glance at the numerous syntypes (at P) will reveal.

Among taxa from southeastern Africa, Eugenia barriei resembles some specimens of Eugenia capensis subsp. gracilipes . In particular, the slender pedicels of a specimen from Malawi (Chapman 6570 [MO]) have a similar but less dense indumentum on the branchlets, pedicels and hypanthium. Other differences of the Chapman specimen include longer and more densely and prominently punctate leaves, and inflorescences that mostly arise from ramiflorous brachyblasts.

Eugenia barriei also has gross morphological similarity to the widespread and relatively common west African species Eugenia leonensis Engler & Brehmer (e.g., D.K. Harder 3372 et al. [MO] from Ghana), but it differs from that species by the generally glabrous aspect of the latter. Likewise, Eugenia barriei somewhat resembles Eugenia mufindiensis Verdc. by virtue of the indumentum of the branchlets, but the latter differs by its much more densely punctate leaves (above and below), the glabrous hypanthium, and a narrower and more deeply sulcate petiole (e.g., M.A. Mwangoka 5945 + H. Mgalla [MO]).