Myrcia gigas McVaugh

Authority

Maguire, Bassett. 1969. The botany of the Guayana Highland-part VIII. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 18: 1-290.

Family

Myrtaceae

Scientific Name

Myrcia gigas McVaugh

Description

Species Description - Arbor 4-5-metralis, fere glaber, gemmis dense strigosis, ramuhs hornotinis foliisque sparse strigosis, pilis rectis albidis usque ad 0.5 mm longis; petala extus, calycis lobi intus, pubescentes; folia longe elliptica, 10-20 cm longa, 3-6 cm lata, 2.5-3-plo longiora quam latiora, sensim late acuminata, basi acuta, marginibus decurrentibus; petioli subteretes, 7-12 mm longi canaliculati; nervus medius supra planus, basi 1-1.5 mm latus; venae laterales utrinque 10-12, supra paullo depressae, saepe convexae, subtus prominentes; nervus marginalis arcuatus, a margine 2-6 mm remotus; folia laevigata, subtus pallidiora; paniculae 10-15 cm longae, interdum in inflorescentiam terminalem aggregatae, usque ad 100-florae; bracteae mox deciduae; pedunculi 3-6 cm longi, compressi, superne 2-2.5 mm lati; alabastra 3 mm longa, anguste turbinata; hypanthium plus quam 1 mm supra germen productum, intus glabrum, per anthesin margine revolutum non fissum; discus glaber, 2.25 mm latus; stylus 6-7 mm longus; calycis lobi 5 inaequales, subcarnosi, cum hypanthii margine patentes, subdecidui; stamina circa 100; fructus ignotus; ovarium triloculare, 6- ovulatum. Tree 4-5 m high, nearly glabrous, the vegetative buds densely strigose with straight white hairs with reddish bases, the hairs up to 0.5 mm long, laterally attached; young branchlets and herbage sparingly strigose with similar hairs; petals pubescent without; calyx-lobes densely pubescent on the inner surface; leaves long-elliptic, 10- 20 cm long, 3-6 cm wide, 2.5-3 times as long as wide, gradually and obtusely acuminate at tip, acute at base, the margins decurrent on the angles of the smooth and nearly terete but channeled petiole 7-12 mm long, 1-2.5 mm thick; midvein flat above, up to 1-1.5 mm wide at base; lateral veins ca 10-12 on each side, more prominent than the weak intermediate ones if any, a little depressed and often convex above, elevated beneath; marginal vein about as strong as the lateral ones, strongly and irregularly arched between them, 2-6 mm from the margin; leaves smooth, hardsurfaced and probably lustrous above, paler beneath; inflorescence sometimes compound with several panicles in a terminal bracteate cluster, the panicles 10-15 cm long, thrice compound, with up to 100 flowers, many of the branches raceme-hke with short-pedicehate lateral flowers; bracts deciduous before anthesis; peduncles 3-6 cm long, rather stout and strongly flattened, up to 2.5 mm wide below the lowest branchlets; buds 3 mm long, narrowly turbinate, the calyx-lobes in bud much shorter than the hypanthium; hypanthium glabrous within, prolonged more than 1 mm beyond the ovary, in anthesis funnel-shaped, the margins revolute but not split; disk glabrous, 2.25 mm wide; style 6-7 mm long; calyx-lobes 5, unequal, low, up to 1 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, somewhat fleshy, wrinkling and flaring out in anthesis with the hypanthium rim, but not strongly reflexed, partly deciduous at base; stamens about 100; fruit unknown; ovary trilocular, with two ascending ovules in each locule.

Discussion

In many individual features this suggests the more widespread Myrcia guianensis, or a gigantic form of it (whence the specific epithet).

Distribution

BRAZIL. Amapa: Rio Araguari, upland forest at mouth of Anicahy, above Camp 14, 8 Oct 1961 (fl), Pires et al 51549 (MICH, type); Oiapaque, mata virgem, 4 Oct 1949 (fl). Black 8332 (MICH, M V M ) .

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