Two new endemic species of Myrtaceae and an anatomical novelty from the Highlands of Brazil

Abstract

Campomanesia cavalcantina Soares-Silva & Proenca and Psidium ratterianum Proenca & Soares-Silva (Myrtaceae), two new species from the Brazilian highlands are described and illustrated. Campomanesia cavalcantina is similar to Campomanesia eugenioides (Cambess.) D. Legrand var. eugenioides, but differs from this species in being an hemixyle, by the narrow to broadly elliptic-falcate leaves 1.7 – 4.6 times as long as wide with 8 – 15 lateral veins, by the less densely glandular leaves and flowers, and by the lanceolate, c. 7 mm long bracteoles which are persistent to young fruit stage. Psidium ratterianum appears to be most closely allied to P. australe Cambess. Both species share the hemixyle habit, similar leaf shape, leaf ratio and floral morphology. P. ratterianum differs from that species by its narrow, ascendant, strongly bullate leaves, bracteoles which are persistent in the fruit, expanded, funnel-shaped stigma and smaller, elliptic fruits. Anatomically, Psidium ratterianum differs from other species of Psidium, and from other new-world Myrtaceae (Tribe Myrteae), in that the leaves are amphistomatic, a character known to occur in the Australian genus Leptospermum.