Myrcia citrifolia (Aubl.) Urb.

  • Family

    Myrtaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Myrcia citrifolia (Aubl.) Urb.

  • Description

    Author: Maria Lúcia Kawasaki

    Description: Shrubs or trees ca. 4 m tall. Leaves: petioles 2-5 mm long; blades obovate, 2.5-4 × 1.5-2 cm, drying brownish-green or olive-green above, paler below, coriaceous, pubescent to puberulous, especially on veins, pellucid-punctate on both surfaces, the base cuneate, the apex obtuse, often retuse; midvein salient on the upper surface; lateral veins 10-15 pairs, slightly salient on both surfaces; marginal vein 1, 1-2 mm from margin. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, paniculate, multiflorous, 4-6 cm long, the axes pubescent to glabrous; bracteoles linear, 1-2 mm long, early deciduous; buds subglobose, ca. 3 mm long; hypanthium prolonged above ovary apex, glabrous; calyx-lobes broadly ovate, ca. 1 mm long, glabrous; petals ca. 3 mm diam., glabrous; stamens 4-5 mm long; style 4-5 mm long. Fruits globose, ca. 1 cm diam., glabrous; seeds 7-8 mm long.

    Common names: Blueberry

    Distribution: West Indies and South America.

    Ecology: Disturbed wet forest with andesitic outcrops, roadside and open areas along trail, and open disturbed areas.

    Phenology: Fl in Mar and Aug, fr in Aug.

    Pollination: No observations recorded.

    Dispersal: No observations recorded but the fruits are eaten by animals, especially birds, and the seeds dispersed by them.

    Taxonomic notes: Probably indistinct from Myrcia guianensis (Aubl.) DC., a common species in South America. This species was described for the Plants and Lichens of Saba and most accurately describes it as it occurs on this island.

    Uses: None recorded.

    Etymology: The epithet alludes to a perceived resemblance to the leaves of citrus, probably because both have pellucid punctations and both exhale a citrus-like aroma when they are crushed.

  • Floras and Monographs

    Myrcia citrifolia (Aubl.) Urb.: [Article] Maguire, Bassett. 1969. The botany of the Guayana Highland-part VIII. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 18: 1-290.