Myrceugenia colchaguensis (Phil.) Navas

• 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 colchaguensis (Phil.) Navas

• Type

  Type. Landbeck s.n., "In provincia Colchagua" (holotype, SGO-064324; probable isotype, MICH ex G; Field Museum neg. 23529 of probable isotype at P, photo at MICH).

• Synonyms

  Eugenia colchaguensis Phil., Myrceugenia malvillana Kausel

• Description

  Species Description - Shrub 2-4 m high; hairs golden-brown to yellowish-brown, more or less symmetrically dibrachiate, twisted; twigs densely lanate when young, glabrescent with age, strongly flattened at the nodes; leaves densely lanate below when young, less densely so to glabrous above when young, glabrescent on both surfaces with age, elliptic to obovate, 0.7-2(-3) cm long, 0.4-1.2(-1.5) cm wide, 1.4-2 times as long as wide; apex obtuse to rounded; base rounded to acute; petiole 1-2 mm long, ca. 1 mm thick, densely lanate when young, glabrescent with age, slightly channeled; midvein recessed proximally or not at all above, prominent proximally, indistinct distally below; lateral and marginal veins indistinct; blades light yellow-green to grey-green, lustrous or dull above, lighter beneath, coriaceous to subcoriaceous; peduncles uniflorous, flattened, 0.8-1.7 cm long, ca. 1 mm wide, densely lanate, solitary or two together in the leaf axils; bracteoles lanceolate, 1.5-2.5 mm long, 0.7-1 mm wide, 2-2.8 times as long as wide, densely lanate within and without, subcoriaceous, clasping the hypanthium; calyx-lobes ovate to broadly triangular, 2-3 mm long, 2-3.5 mm wide, 0.7-1.2(-1.4) times as long as wide, densely lanate distally to glabrous proximally within, densely lanate without, coriaceous, usually somewhat concave; hypanthium densely lanate, 1.2-2 mm long; disk 2-3 mm across, sparsely covered with hairs; style 5-9 mm long, sparsely pubescent to glabrous; stamens ca. 180-240, 5-8 mm long; anthers ca. 0.5 mm long when dry; petals concave, more or less orbicular, ca. 3-5 mm in diam.; ovary usually 3-locular; ovules 6-12 per locule; mature fruit unknown.

• Discussion

  Myrceugenia colchaguensis has been collected less than any other western species of Myrceugenia. Although it is actually quite distinct, it has been confused with other species such as M. correifolia and M. rufa. Where I collected it, near Malvilla, it was growing with M. obtusa and was quite similar to that species in general appearance. Myrceugenia colchaguensis can be distinguished from the other western species by the combination of Calyx-lobes that are densely lanate without; yellowish, symmetrically dibrachiate, twisted hairs; small leaves; and uniflorous peduncles. Its closest relative is probably M. alpigena of Brazil. M. colchaguensis is compared to that species in the discussion of M. alpigena var. rufa.

  Myrceugenia colchaguensis flowers in the summer months of January and February. Mature fruits are unknown. It is known from only five localities in Chile. A map of its distribution is shown in Fig. 17.

• Distribution

  Chile South America| Santiago Chile South America| Maule Chile South America|