Myrceugenia correifolia (Hook. & Arn.) O.Berg

• 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 correifolia (Hook. & Arn.) O.Berg

• Type

  Type. Cuming 95 "Chili" (syntype, probably K, n.v.; Field Museum neg. 19930 of isosyntype at M, photo at MICH); Cruckshanks s.n., "Valparaiso" (syntype, probably K, n.v.).

• Synonyms

  Eugenia correaefolia Hook. & Arn., Eugenia maritima Barnéoud, Eugenia thalassaia O.Berg, Myrceugenia johowi Gusinde, Myrceugenia thalassaia (O.Berg) Gusinde ex Fuentes, Myrceugenia maritima (Barnéoud) Kausel

• Description

  Species Description - Tree or shrub up to 4 m tall or perhaps taller; hairs reddish-brown to whitish-grey, appressed, dibrachiate, about symmetric; twigs densely pubescent when young, glabrescent with age; leaves sparsely to densely pubescent below, glabrous to densely pubescent above, oval to elliptic, 2-7.5 cm long, 1-4.5 cm wide, 1.5-2.3 times as long as wide, the margins revolute, the whole leaf sometimes curling in dried specimens; apex broadly rounded or obtuse, less often acute; base rounded to broadly cuneate; petiole densely to sparsely pubescent, 2-5 mm long, 1-1.5 mm thick, scarcely channeled; midvein slightly recessed proximally to not at all distally, more pubescent than surrounding blade above, prominent below; lateral veins indistinguishable or up to ca. 10 pairs barely visible; marginal veins equalling laterals; blades dull, light yellow-green to light bluish-green above, grey-green to yellow-green below, coriaceous; peduncles uniflorous, flattened, 1-3.5 cm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, densely pubescent, solitary or in pairs in the leaf axils; bracteoles lanceolate, 3-7 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, 2.5-3.5 times as long as wide, coriaceous, glabrous to densely pubescent within, sparsely to densely pubescent without, clasping the hypanthium, becoming reflexed distally with age (rarely leaf-like and not clasping the hypanthium); Calyx-lobes concave, coriaceous, very sparsely pubescent to glabrous within and without, conspicuously glandular, 2.5-4 mm long, 2.9-4.5 mm wide, 0.7-1 times as long as wide; hypanthium obconic, 2.5-4 mm long, densely pubescent; disk 3-4 mm across, sparsely pubescent; style 0.5-1 cm long, glabrous; stamens 130-200, 4-8 mm long; anthers 0.5-0.9 mm long when dry; petals suborbicular, concave, ca. 4-6 mm in diam., white to cream colored; ovary 3-4-locular, the ovary wall thick, glandular; ovules 6-12 per locue; fruit dark amber-brown to black, glandular, 0.7-1 cm long, 0.4-0.8 cm wide, sparsely puberulent; seeds usually 3-4, 6-8 mm long, more or less oblong.

• Discussion

  This species is easily distinguished from all other species of Myrceugenia because of its combination of large flowers, large leaves and re volute leaf margins. It may be most closely related to M. planipes, M. reitzii and M. kleinii, being quite similar to them in the distribution of pubescence on the flowers and in the size and shape of the floral structures. None of these species has the strongly revolute leaf margins of M. correifolia nor is any as densely covered with hairs on the lower leaf surface.

  Myrceugenia correifolia seems to follow closely the often foggy coast of central Chile, where it apparently finds the proper combination of humidity and warm temperatures. A map of its distribution is shown in Fig. 11. It flowers from August to February and matures its fruits within a few months.

• Distribution

  Chile South America| Coquimbo Chile South America| Valparaíso Chile South America| Santiago Chile South America|