Syzygiumpyneei (Myrtaceae), a new critically endangered endemic species from Mauritius

James W Byng; F B Vincent Florens; Cláudia Baider

doi:10.3897/phytokeys.46.9039

Syzygiumpyneei (Myrtaceae), a new critically endangered endemic species from Mauritius

PhytoKeys. 2015 Feb 5:(46):61-6. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.46.9039. eCollection 2015.

Authors

James W Byng¹, F B Vincent Florens², Cláudia Baider³

Affiliations

¹ School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK ; Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB, UK.
² Department of Biosciences, University of Mauritius, Réduit, Mauritius.
³ The Mauritius Herbarium, Agricultural Services, Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security; R. E. Vaughan Building, Réduit, Mauritius.

Abstract

A new species of Syzygium Gaertn. (Myrtaceae), Syzygiumpyneei Byng, V. Florens & Baider, is described from Mondrain Reserve on the island of Mauritius. This species is endemic to the island and differs from any other species by its combination of cauliflory, relatively large flowers, light green to cream hypanthium, light pink stamens, short thick petioles, coriaceous leaves and round, cuneate or sub-cordate to cordate leaf bases. Syzygiumpyneei Byng, V. Florens & Baider is known from only two individuals from the type locality and merits the conservation status of Critically Endangered (CR C2a(i,ii); D).

Keywords: Mascarenes; Myrtaceae; Syzygium; endemic.