Go To Encyclopedia of Life...
|
|
Family: Myrtaceae
|
Eugenia schippii Standl. Glabrous tree, 10-20 m tall, to 40 cm dbh; stems terete, grayish, the nodes somewhat to conspicuously swollen, the branching mostly dichotomous. Petioles 1-5 mm long, +/- terete or flattened on upper surface, sometimes roughened; blades oblong-elliptic, gradually long-acuminate (the acumen sometimes downturned), broadly to narrowly acute to very weakly attenuate at base, 7-16 (20) cm long, 2-5 cm wide, markedly bicolorous, both surfaces dull, the upper surface with sunken midrib, the lower surface and midrib prominently punctate, the margins weakly revolute; lateral veins 2-6 mm apart, obscure, with a collecting vein 2-3 mm from margin, the reticulate veins very obscure; new flush of leaves +/- maroon. Flowers few to several at leafless, swollen nodes; pedicels 2-5 mm long, the bracts solitary or paired, borne apically, +/- round or ovate to +/- acute, pellucid-punctate, ciliate, usually closely appressed to the hypanthium; flower buds globose to obovoid, ca 7 mm long; calyx completely closed in bud, splitting +/- irregularly, 2-5-lobed, the lobes rounded to acute at apex, 3-3.5 mm long, persisting in fruit; petals 5, +/- rounded, concave, inconspicuously ciliate, white, ca 5 mm long; stamens numerous; stamens and style +/- equaling petals; style glabrous, narrowly tapered to apex; ovules numerous, flattened and reniform, less than 1 mm diam. Berries globose to depressed-globose, 2-3.5 cm diam, green tinged with red (probably also becoming completely red) when mature; seeds usually 2, horseshoe-shaped, ca 2 cm long and 3 mm wide. Croat 16213. Apparently rare, in the old forest; known from the vicinity of Zetek Trail 300-400, where seedlings are common. Mature fruits have been seen on BCI in July. Both flowers and immature fruits are seen elsewhere in Panama in August. In Belize the flowers are seen in May and mature fruits in August and November. Owing to its unusual C-shaped embryo, which lacks a hard bony testa, it is possible that the species does not even belong in the genus Psidium (R. McVaugh, pers. comm.). Panamanian material differs from that of plants from Belize in having shorter pedicels and calyx lobes that are essentially glabrous inside rather than strongly pubescent. Fruits on Lao & Holdridge 194 (Salúd, Colón Province) were heavily infested with gall-forming insects, which caused the fruits to be somewhat lobed. |