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| Myrcia cupreiflora T.Fern. & J.M.A.Braga, in Fernandes, Gaem, Vasconcelos, Bovini et Braga, 2024. |
Abstract
A new species of Myrcia (Myrtaceae) from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest in the state of Rio de Janeiro is described and illustrated. The species is recognizable by its strongly bullate leaf blades, long, axillary and terminal, coppery and strigose inflorescences and calyces completely fused in the flower buds, tearing deeply vertically into 4–5 homogeneous sepals at anthesis. We herein provide a morphological description of the new species along with taxonomic notes, preliminary conservation status, illustrations, and a map of occurrence records.
Myrcia sect. Aulomyrcia, Myrtales, Myrteae, Neotropical flora, taxonomy, Atlantic Forest, Eudicots
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| Morphology of Myrcia cupreiflora in fresh state (left insert: flower buds, right insert: immature fruit). Flowering branch and flower insert from Bovini 4763 (holotype, RB), fruit insert from Bovini 4787 (paratype, RB). Photos by Massimo G. Bovini. |
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| Morphology of Myrcia cupreiflora. A. Leaf adaxial surface, and marginal vein. B. Leaf abaxial surface, midvein and secondary venation. C. Leaf abaxial surface, dense cover of dark glands. D. Terminal inflorescences. E. Flower buds. F. Immature fruit. A-E from Bovini 4763 (holotype, RB), F from Bovini 4787 (paratype, RB). |
Myrcia cupreiflora T.Fern. & J.M.A.Braga, sp. nov.
Etymology:— The specific epithet, from the Latin cupreus, meaning shiny brownish red, refers to the distinctive coppery, strigose indumentum on the flowers (and inflorescences) of this new species.
Thiago Fernandes, Paulo Henrique Gaem, Thais N.C. Vasconcelos, Massimo Giuseppe Bovini and João Marcelo Alvarenga Braga. 2024. Myrcia cupreiflora (Myrtaceae), A New Species from the Brazilian State of Rio de Janeiro. Phytotaxa. 663(2); 95-100. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.663.2.5