Eugenia studerae B. S. Amorim, 2018

Eugenia studerae B. S. Amorim View in CoL , sp. nov. ( Figures 1 View FIGURE 1 , 2 View FIGURE 2 , and 3).

Type:— BRAZIL. Alagoas: Mun. Quebrangulo, Reserva Biológica de Pedra Talhada, trilha do caminho para a barragem , 09º15’25”S, 36º25’55”W, 600–650 m elev., 26 October 2011, fr., B.S. Amorim 1197, D. Araújo & M.A. Chagas (holotype: UFP! GoogleMaps , isotypes: JPB! GoogleMaps , NY GoogleMaps , RB! GoogleMaps ).

Shrub up to 3 m tall, closely related to Eugenia hirta O. Berg (1859: 574) , but differing by the acute calyx lobes with 1 mm long and inflorescence usually with 3–4 flowers/fruits (vs. rounded calyx lobes with 2–3 mm long and inflorescence usually with 1 flower/fruit in E. hirta ).

Shrub up to 3 m tall; young stems glabrous. Leaf arrangement decussate, leaf blade elliptic to ovate or lanceolate (rounded), 4.5–8.7 × 1.8–4.2 cm, chartaceous, glabrous or with scattered hairs on both surfaces, apex rounded, base cuneate, midrib flat and glabrous on the upper surface, and raised with scattered trichomes on the lower surface, secondary veins 6 pairs, marginal vein 0.1–0.2 cm from the margin. Petiole 0.3–0.5 cm long, sulcate adaxially, glabrous. Inflorescence racemose, axillary, main floral axis with short internodes, 0.3–0.5 cm long, bearing 2–3 pairs of flowers; bracts 1 mm long, lanceolate, glabrous; pedicels 0.5–0.8 cm long, glabrous; hypanthium smooth, puberulent; floral bracteoles lanceolate, 1 mm long, glabrous; calyx lobes four, 1 mm long, acute, glabrous on both surfaces; petals not seen; stamens not seen; staminal ring 2 mm diameter, circular, glabrous; style 4–5 mm long, glabrous or with scattered trichomes. Fruits 0.6–0.8 × 0.6–0.7 cm, subglobose, yellowish to red (when mature), surface smooth, puberulent; seeds not examined.

Affinities:—Due to the inflorescence main floral axis with short internodes, Eugenia studerae is probably placed in Eugenia section Umbellatae O.Berg , the most species-rich section of the genus ( Mazine et al. 2016). Eugenia studerae is morphologically related to E. hirta , which also shares the shrubby habit and the occurrence in forest subcanopy. Besides, Eugenia studerae shares with E. hirta the morphological features of leaves with 4.5–8.7 cm long, inflorescence with reduced main axis, bracteoles lanceolate, and subglobose and smooth fruits. It differs, however, by the acute calyx lobes with 1 mm long and inflorescence usually with 3–4 mature flowers/fruits (vs. rounded calyx lobes with 2–3 mm long and inflorescence usually with 1 mature flower/fruit in E. hirta Table 1 View TABLE ). Furthermore, the species do not occur simpatrically, E. studerae is restricted to submontane forest of Alagoas state, while E. hirta occurs in restingas and lowland coastal forests in northern Atlantic Forest from Rio Grande do Norte to Espírito Santo states ( Amorim & Alves 2011, 2012b, Lourenço & Barbosa 2012, Fernandes & Queiroz 2015, Giaretta & Peixoto 2015; Figure 1 View FIGURE 1 .).

Geographic Distribution and Ecology:—Up until now Eugenia studerae is found in submontane forests fragments of Alagoas state in northeastern Brazil. The submontane forests in northern Atlantic Forest are known to be a relevant habitat for endemic species ( Sothers 2003, Siqueira-Filho & Leme 2006, Sobral 2013, Gregório et al. 2014, Pessoa et al. 2014a, 2014 b, Amorim & Alves 2015a, 2015b, Costa-Lima & Alves 2013, Pessoa & Alves 2015). The forest fragments where E. studerae can be found is a high species-rich area called “Reserva Biológica de Pedra Talhada”. This conservation unit is also one of the most species-rich areas of the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil with 823 species ( Nusbaumer et al. 2015). Other areas rich in species number are the submontane forest from Pernambuco (832 species; Melo et al. 2016), and lowland forests from Pernambuco (830 species; Alves et al. 2013) and Bahia (947 species; Amorim et al. 2008) states. Eugenia studerae was observed with fruits in October.

Conservation status:—The species is currently known only from remnants of submontane Atlantic Forest of Alagoas state in northeastern Brazil. The population of Eugenia studerae is categorized as endangered based on criteria “D” of the IUCN (2016). Although there might be other populations in unprotected areas of submontane forests close to the type locality, the very small and restricted population of Eugenia studerae with less than 250 mature individuals are sufficient to place it in the endangered category.

Etymology:—The epithet honors Anita Studer, a Swiss ornithologist and conservationist involved in social and reforestation projects that resulted in the preservation and maintenance of the Pedra Talhada biological reserve, where the species here described occurs.

Paratype:— BRAZIL. Alagoas: Mun. Quebrangulo, Reserva Biológica de Pedra Talhada, Mata caminho para Pedra Talhada , 09º15’25”S, 36º25’55”W, 600–650 m alt., 25 October 2011, fr., B.S. Amorim 1151, D. Araújo & M. A. Chagas ( UFP!, JPB!, NY) GoogleMaps .