Myrcia graciliflora Sagot
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Authority
Maguire, Bassett. 1969. The botany of the Guayana Highland-part VIII. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 18: 1-290.
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Family
Myrtaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - In addition to the type (Kappler 1429, at U), and the Mehnon specimen cited by Amshoff in the Flora of Suriname, I have seen several additional specimens collected in the Jodensavanne-Mapane Creek area, Suriname, and offer the following supplementary description: Leaves 6-8(-ll) cm long (or on shoots up to 15 cm ) , 2.5-4.5 cm wide, 2.5-3 times as long as wide; inflorescences mostly terminal, the 1-3 naked panicle-branches borne in the axils of coriaceous deltoid-ovate bracts on a short terminal shoot (5-6 mm long or less, comprising 2-4 nodes); individual panicle-branches very variable in size and number of flowers, 3.5-8.5 cm long, the peduncle 1.5-3.5 cm long, nearly terete, 0.5-0.8 mm in diam; flowers 5-25, pedicellate, mostly in 3's or solitary at the tips of the panicle-branchlets, the whole panicle-branch often reduced and racemose; calyx-lobes 4 in strictly opposite pairs, evident and loosely imbricate in bud, the larger ones 1.5 mm long and wide; disk 2.5 mm wide, explanate and nearly flat after anthesis or a little concave with the narrow and scarcely differentiated staminal ring somewhat revolute; stamens about 60; calyx-lobes reflexed in post-anthesis, 2 of them usually partly detached at base; fruit unknown.
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Discussion
Eugenia schaueriana Miq., Linnaea 22: 174. 1849, non Myrcia schaueriana Berg, 1855.
Myrciaria schaueriana (Miq.) Berg, Linnaea 27: 323. 1856.
Aidomyrcia schaueriana (Miq.) Amsh., Rec. Trav. Bot. Neerl. 39: 155. 1942
A little-known species, seemingly mostly confined to an area of the Guiana lowlands between the Suriname and Marowijne Rivers. The synonymy is a reflection of the confusion engendered by a species with tetramerous flowers combined with a myrcioid inflorescence. In many respects this plant suggests Marlierea more than Myrcia, e.g., the outer corky layers of the petiole tend to exfoliate at maturity, the inflorescences are mostly terminal, the hypanthium is explanate at anthesis, the calyxlobes and petals are 4 each, the cal5rx splits a little between the lobes at anthesis, and two of the lobes often become partly detached. The difference between Myrcia and Marlierea here is one of degree; the splits in the calyx in M . graciliflora extend only to the edge of the staminal ring, which is thus entire in flower and fruit; in this the plant resembles Myrcia, whereas if the splits extended into or beyond the staminal ring, as in several more easily characterized species of Marlierea, there would be no question of referring the species to Myrcia.