From Huang et al. (in review)

Eschweilera tetrapetala clade (100% BS; Figs. 1B, 12) — This small clade consists of three sampled species (E. alvimii S. A. Mori, E. tetrapetala, and E. nana and three additional species (E. complanata S. A. Mori, E. compressa (Vell.) Miers, and E. mattos-silvae S. A. Mori) (Mori, 1990b) that were not included in this study. Eschweilera alvimii and E. tetrapetala were included in Eschweilera section Tetrapetala (Mori, 1990) and Eschweilera nana was included in Eschweilera section Eschweilera by Mori and Prance (1990). Eschweilera nana has a wide distribution in the Brazilian cerrado but the other species have narrow distributions and are endemic to the coastal forests of eastern Brazil (Huang, 2010).

Synapomorphies of this clade include the presence of squamae on the inflorescence rachises (Fig. 2B; character 12) and appendages on both the interior and exterior surfaces instead of only the exterior surface of the single androecial hood coil (character 29; Figs. 12A, 12C). The latter character is unique to this clade. The monophyly of Section Tetrapetala in the present study is congruent with Huang et al. (2011). In addition, species of the E. tetrapetala clade have a single-coiled ligule (character 26, 27, Fig. 12A, C), a two-locular ovary (character 39; Fig. 12B), and a basal aril (characters 47, 48; Fig. 12E). The first feature is also found in the three species of the L. ollaria clade; the second is found in the Corythophora clade and nearly all species in the E. integrifolia and E. parvifolia clades; and the third is found scattered throughout several clades.