A new species of Psidium (Myrtaceae) from the Brazilian Northeast

Abstract

Psidium sobralianum from northeastern Brazil is described and illustrated. It seems to be most similar to P. bahianum. Psidium sobralianum differs from P. bahianum in various ways: leaf ratio usually greater than 2 times as long as wide (versus generally less than 2 in P. bahianum); peduncles 1–5 mm long (versus 12–38 mm long in P. bahianum); mature flower buds 10–13 mm long, 7–9 mm wide, open, with petal globe exposed (versus ca. 8 mm long, ca. 5 mm wide, closed or minutely porate, with petal globe hidden in P. bahianum); locules with 4–5(–18) ovules (versus 28–33 in P. bahianum); and seeds 1–10, 5–7 mm long (versus 15–20, 3–4 mm long in P. bahianum). Psidium bahianum is exclusive to the humid forests of costal Bahia and P. sobralianum is found in the higher dry forests and “carrasco” vegetation of Ceara and Maranhao and at lower elevations in Para.