[Botany • 2025] Psidium guedesiae (Myrtaceae) • A New Species from the Caatinga of Northeastern Brazil

 

Psidium guedesiae Stadnik & Landrum, 

in Stadnik & Landrum, 2025. 

 DOI: doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.734.1.1 

 

Abstract

Psidium is one of the largest genera of Myrtaceae in Brazil. Bahia, the most species rich state, has species growing in the Cerrado, Caatinga, and Atlantic Forest domains, and the ecotones between these. A new species, Psidium guedesiae, is described from the Caatinga of Northeastern Brazil. It is compared to three similar species of Psidium that all seem to grow in the Caatinga habitat. A key to the species of this group is provided. The morphology, phenology, ecology and conservation status of P. guedesiae are discussed.

Bahia, dryland, Ecotone, Myrteae, Pernambuco, Eudicots

Psidium guedesiae.
Details. A—Fruiting branch (Stadnik 279); B—Twig. B1 –Vegetative bud, B2—Colleter (Stadnik 279);
C—Placenta with ovules (Guedes 30198); D—Seeds (Stadnik 279); E—Petal (Guedes 30198); F—young cataphyll (Guedes 30146); G— longitudinal section of an old flower, highlighting gynoecium features; H—old flower, H1—Bracteole, H2—Colleter (Guedes 30146).

Psidium guedesiae Stadnik & Landrum, sp. nov. 

Similar to Psidium brevipedunculatum but flower buds and lower surface of leaves moderately to sparsely strigose or pubescent (not densely tomentose), petioles 0–2 mm long (not 4–5 mm long) and leaf blades submembranous to chartaceous (not subcoriaceous) at maturity. 

Etymology:—Psidium guedesiae is a tribute to Maria Lenise Guedes who is a distinguished colleague of the Alexandre Leal Costa Herbarium at Salvador, Bahia. Guedes is a prolific botanist that has been contributing to the biodiversity knowledge of Brazil, mainly in the Bahia state. She was the first collector of P. guedesiae, and based on online platform of herbarium data, she is the paramount female collector of vascular plants in Brazil and has collected more specimens of Psidium in Bahia than anyone else.

 

Aline STADNIK and Leslie R. LANDRUM. 2025. Psidium guedesiae A New Species from the Caatinga of Northeastern Brazil. Phytotaxa. 734(1); 1-8. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.734.1.1 [2025-12-16]