Myrceugenia alpigena (DC.) Landrum var. alpigena

  • Authority

    Landrum, Leslie R. 1981. A monograph of the genus Myrceugenia (Myrtaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 29: 1-137. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Myrtaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Myrceugenia alpigena (DC.) Landrum var. alpigena

  • Type

    Type. Martius s.n., "in montibus Brasiliae prov. Minarum," "v. s. sine fr. in h. Mart." (holotype, M; Field Museum neg. 19915 of holotype, photo at MICH).

  • Synonyms

    Eugenia alpigena DC., Psidium itatiaiae Wawra, Luma alpigena (DC.) Burret, Myrceugenia bracteosa var. alpigena (DC.) D.Legrand, Myrceugenia leptorhyncha D.Legrand, Myrceugenia bracteosa var. guaratubensis Mattos, Myrceugenia catharinae Legrand

  • Description

    Variety Description - Leaves l-4(-4.6) cm long, 0.3-1.5 cm wide, 2-3.7 times as long as wide, mainly elliptic, usually densely covered with hairs beneath; peduncles solitary or in pairs in the leaf axils, 0.6-2.2 cm long; bracteoles lanceolate, 2-4 mm long, 0.8-1.8 mm wide, 2-4 times as long as wide; Calyx-lobes acute, triangular to triangular-ovate, 1.6-3.2 mm long, 1-3 mm wide, 0.9-1.7 times as long as wide; hypanthium 1.5-3 mm long.

  • Discussion

    Myrceugenia euosma might be confused with this variety but it has a mixture of simple and dibrachiate hairs and the bracteoles are mainly less than twice as long as wide, while in M. alpigena var. alpigena the hairs are all symmetrically dibrachiate and the bracteoles are usually 2-4 times as long as wide. In the area where their ranges come nearest to each other in Parana and Santa Catarina, M. euosma grows towards the interior of the planalto in the Araucaria forests whereas M. alpigena var. alpigena seems to be restricted to the high elevations and misty forests of the eastern edge of the planalto. If plotted on the scatter diagram in Fig. 16, M. euosma would appear in the lower right hand corner.

    Myrceugenia alpigena var. alpigena has mainly been found in Itatiaia and in Serra dos Orgãos in Rio de Janeiro at elevations above 2000 m but has also been collected on Pico da Bandeira in Espirito Santo at a similar elevation, and in Guaratuba, Parana and Garuva, Santa Catarina at 1200-1350 m. A map of its distribution is shown in Fig. 17. It clearly needs a cool moist habitat. It flowers from January to May and its fruits probably mature in October and November.

  • Distribution

    Brazil South America| Espirito Santo Brazil South America| Minas Gerais Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America|