Circumscription and synopsis of Eugenia section Speciosae Bünger & Mazine (Myrtaceae)

PhytoKeys. 2016 Feb 25:(61):73-80. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.61.7904. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

A new section of Eugenia (Myrtaceae) is described, segregate from Eugenia sect. Phyllocalyx. Phylogenetic studies suggest that Eugenia sect. Phyllocalyx as traditionally delimited is paraphyletic. To maintain the monophyly of each of the sections in Eugenia s.l., we herein opt to circumscribe a new section and recognize six taxa in sect. Speciosae, which has a distribution mostly in southeastern Brazil and northern South America. Nomenclatural notes are made and a taxonomic key is provided for the species of the section.

Keywords: Amazon Forest; Atlantic Forest; Myrteae; Neotropics.