Eugenia velutifolia Mazine & Sobral, 2019

Eugenia velutifolia Mazine & Sobral View in CoL , sp. nov.

Type:— BRAZIL. São Paulo: Itu, Área de Proteção Ambiental, Cerrado , 16 July 1987, W.S. Souza & R.M. Britez 25249 (holotype UEC!) . Figures 1 View FIGURE 1 , 2 View FIGURE 2 and 3 View FIGURE 3

Diagnosis: —This species is morphologically related to Eugenia bimarginata De Candolle (1828: 271) from which it is kept apart by its velutinous indumentum on leaves and twigs (versus glabrous or rarely puberulent leaves, and glabrous twigs), leaf blade with undulate margin (vs. revolute but not undulate margin) and larger sepals, 2–3 mm (vs. sepals 1–2 mm). It also resembles Eugenia livida O. Berg (1859: 584) , but it is distinguished from it by the velutinous indumentum with brown trichomes on both sides of leaf blade and twigs (vs. leaf blade glabrescent adaxially and pubescent-velutinous abaxially, twigs glabrescent, with yellow-opaque trichomes), leaf blade with undulate margin (vs. revolute but not undulate margin), midvein slightly sulcate, plane to slightly prominent adaxially (vs. biconvex), and sepals 2–3 mm (vs. sepals 1–1.5 mm).

Shrub 0.6–1.3 m tall. Twigs terete to applanate, the distal internodes 1.5–2.5 cm, velutinous. Leaves ovate or wide ovate, rare elliptic, 5–9 × 2.7–5.5 cm; translucent punctuations evident on both surfaces, but more pronounced on the adaxial surface, 6–10 dots/mm²; velutinous on both surfaces, brown and erect trichomes; apex acute to obtuse; base rounded to cordate; midvein slightly sulcate, plane to slightly prominent on adaxial surface and prominent on abaxial surface; lateral veins 7–11 at each side; marginal vein 1–3.5 mm from the margin; the margin itself revolute with yellow thickening and undulate; petiole 1–2 mm, velutinous. Inflorescences racemiform with a reduced axis (ca. 1.5 mm), mainly axillary, with 4–8 flowers, glabrous. Floral buds globose, 3–4 mm diameter; pedicels 5–10 mm, glabrous; bracteoles ovate to elliptic, ca. 1 mm, ciliate, brown trichomes, persistent at anthesis; hypanthium 2–3 mm, glabrous; sepals four, ovate, 2–3 × 2–3 mm, ciliate; petals four, white, apex acute to round, 4–7 × 3–4 mm, glabrous, translucent punctuations evident; stamens more than 30, the filaments 5–7 mm, the anthers oblong-elliptical; style 5–7 mm long, glabrous; ovary with two locules and 7–9 ovules per locule. Fruits not seen.

Distribution, habitat, and phenology: —As far as we know there are only six collections of Eugenia velutifolia from two localities, in the municipalities of Itu and Salto de Pirapora, São Paulo state, southeastern Brazil ( Figure 3 View FIGURE 3 ). It occurs at severely fragmented grassland areas in Cerrado vegetation, between 600–700 m elev. The species was collected with flowers in May and July.

Conservation: — Eugenia velutifolia has an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 18.575 km ². São Paulo’s Cerrado areas are severely fragmented, especially those that aren’t protected, and the species could be in a significant risk to be extinct due to the continuous decline in habitat quality caused by activities such as cattle farming, mineral extraction, and the increasing of real estate market. Considering its geographic range, E. velutifolia could be evaluated as Critically Endangered, according to IUCN Red List Criteria B1ab (i, iii).

Etymology: —The specific epithet refers to the velutinous indumentum on the leaf blade.

Affinities: —Considering the sections of Eugenia proposed by Mazine et al. (2016), Eugenia velutifolia might be assigned to Eugenia sect. Umbellatae O. Berg (1855 –1856: 204), due to its fasciculate inflorescences and flowers with pedicels at least four times longer than internodes of the inflorescence axis. For the section, this species is morphologically related with Eugenia bimarginata , E. livida and E. suberosa Cambessèdes (1833: 364) , all shrubs occurring in Brazilian Cerrado vegetation. Although, Eugenia velutifolia can easily be kept apart from them by the velutinous indumentum with brown trichomes on both sides of the leaf blade and twigs, the midvein not biconvex, leaves with undulate margins, and also by its larger sepals ( Table 1 View TABLE 1 ).

The contrasting characters among E. velutifolia to E. bimarginata and E. livida can be seen in the diagnosis. Eugenia velutifolia can be kept apart from E. suberosa also by the leaf blade with rounded to cordate base (vs. leaf blade with acute to obtuse base in E. suberosa ). A summary of morphological features that characterize these four species is presented in Table 1 View TABLE 1 .

Paratypes: — BRAZIL. São Paulo: Itu, Fazenda São Miguel, Campo Cerrado , 10 July 2007, R. M. Britez 1718 ( MBM!) ; Propriedade rural ao lado da Fazenda São Miguel , -23.3891, -47.3049, 11 May 2018, K.S. Valdemarin & G.Z. Sant’ana 1134, 1135 ( ESA!, SORO!) GoogleMaps ; Ibid., -23.3896, -47.3055, G.Z. Sant’ana & K.S. Vademarin 34 ( ESA!, SORO!). GoogleMaps Salto de Pirapora, remanescente de Cerrado (fitofisionomia aberta), área de extração de areia , -23.6659, -47.6191, 23 May 2018, P.H. Gaem 150 ( SORO!) GoogleMaps .