Eugenia tovomita Sobral & M.A.D.Souza, 2018

6. Eugenia tovomita Sobral & M.A.D.Souza View in CoL , sp. nov.

Type:— VENEZUELA: [Bolívar], Cordilheira Pacaraima, acampamento do marco BV-9, a 5’ de helicóptero saindo da base Mata Cutia , 17 September 1979, N.A. Rosa & O.C. Nascimento 3473 (holotype HUFSJ! ; isotypes MG! , NY ). Figure 6 View FIGURE 6 .

Diagnosis:—This species is related to Eugenia wentii , but differs by its blades with very scattered glandular dots (versus uniformly dotted in E. wentii ) and glabrous yellowish flowers with shorter unequal calyx lobes, to 3 × 3 mm (versus whitish flowers densely pilose at least on the hypantium and calyx lobes 6–12 × 3–6 mm); it may also resemble Eugenia speciosa , but differs by its acuminate blades with irregularly scattered glandular dots (vs. obtuse blades with uniform glandular dots along the blade in E. speciosa ), fusiform flower buds (versus globose or obovate) and yellow flowers (vs. white) with shorter calyx lobes (to 3 × 3 mm vs. 10–14 × 5–9 mm).

Description:—Tree 10– 15 m. Twigs terete or slightly applanate, brown or grey when dry. Leaves with petioles 6–10 × 0.8–1.2 mm, glabrous, adaxially sulcate; blades elliptic, 57–93 × 30–43 mm, 1.7–2.5 times longer than wide, drying dark green or brown, sometimes shining at least adaxially, concolorous or discolorous, in this case lighter abaxially; glandular dots visible only when backlit, up to 0.1 mm in diameter, very scattered and irregular, mostly less than 1/mm², sometimes up to 3/mm²; base cuneate; apex acuminate in 8–12 mm and occasionally conduplicate; midvein impressed adaxially and raised abaxially; lateral veins 12 to 15 at each side, moderately raised on both sides, leaving the midvein at angles 60–70°, secondary lateral veins usually only perceptible; marginal vein 0.9–1 mm from the slightly revolute margin. Inflorescences mostly auxotelic, with 2 to 4 ramiflorous flowers in the basal portions of branches that develop distally normal leaves, rarely in branches with no sign of leaves and then simulating a racemiform inflorescence with axis to 1 × 0.3 mm; bracts triangular, to 1 × 0.6 mm, usually deciduous at anthesis, pedicels 6–10 × 0.5 mm, longitudinally striate, glabrous or with scattered glistening, asymmetrically dibrachiate trichomes to 0.2 mm; bracteoles as the bracts, usually deciduous at anthesis or before; flower buds fusiform, 8–10 × 4–5 mm, glabrous except for the ovary, with trichomes as the pedicels externally; calyx lobes four, in bud much shorter than the globe of the petals, markedly reflexed at anthesis, in two unequal pairs, the shorter one triangular, 2–2.2 × 3 mm, the larger one elliptic, 2.8–3 × 2.5 mm; petals four, yellowish, oblong, to 8 × 4 mm, glabrous; stamens not counted, the filaments to 9 mm, visibly applanate, the anthers globose, to 0.3 mm in diameter, sometimes with one apical gland; staminal ring glabrous, to 2 mm in diameter and 0.3 mm thick; calyx tube absent; style to 8.5 mm, stigma punctiform; ovary with two glabrous locules and 9 to 12 ovules per locule. Fruits not seen.

Distribution, habitat and phenology:—This species was collected in upland forests (“terra firme”) with clay soils and altitudes about 1000 m elev. in Venezuela and Brazil; flowers were collected in August and September; fruits were supposedly collected in September, according to information from type label, but were not observed.

Conservation status:—Although the specimens examined are not georeferenced, a tentative evaluation of its extent of occurrence via Geocat ( Bachman et al. 2011) considering the localities of Juriti, Manaus and Pacaraima resulted in an area of approximately 172900 km ², what would point to a LC (Least Concern) status according to IUCN conservation criteria ( IUCN 2001).

Affinities:— Eugenia tovomita is morphologically related to E. speciosa Cambessèdes (1832 –1833: 351; type image: P 01902769) and E. wentii Amshoff (1942: 158 ; type image: U 0005034), with which it is compared in the diagnosis. The morphology of the bracteoles, which are triangular-shaped, small and deciduous, is suggestive of its inclusion in section Speciosae Bünger & Mazine ( Bünger et al. 2016).

Etymology:—The epithet is allusive to the vegetative resemblance of this species with some species of the genus Tovomita Aublet ( Clusiaceae ; Aublet 1775: 956), including the yellowish flowers.

Paratypes:— BRAZIL. Amazonas: Manaus, estrada Manaus-Itacoatiara, km 31 , 21 September 1960, W.A. Rodrigues et al. 1761 ( INPA!, MG!) . Pará: Juruti, 8 August 2007, I.L. Amaral, M.B. Ramos, J.G. Oliveira & S. Souza 3079 ( HUSFJ!, INPA!) .