Eugenia magnicarpa, a new species with one of the largest fruits of Eugenia, from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.
Name
s12225-025-10343-3.pdf
Description
visibility:open
Size
5.93 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (CRC64NVME)
U05YnAbiG+k=
Resource type
Journal article
Date published
June 13, 2026
Abstract
A new species, Eugenia magnicarpa Valdemarin & J.D.O.Melo, is described from the coastal region of Bahia, Brazil. Molecular and morphological analyses confirm its placement within Eugenia sect. Umbellatae O.Berg. It is distinguished by its exceptionally large, glabrous fruits (65 – 88 × 70 – 93.5 mm), among the largest in the section and the genus. The species is characterised by leaf blades that are whitish on the abaxial surface, inflorescences on leafless nodes or on the trunk, glabrous flowers with sepals exceeding 4.5 mm in length, pedicels up to 4 mm long and the large, glabrous fruits with a rugose surface containing a single seed. The presence of large fruits within E. sect. Umbellatae is identified as a homoplastic trait and this discovery enhances the understanding of morphological and ecological diversity within Eugenia, particularly regarding fruit traits that influence frugivore interactions and seed dispersal. We also provide illustrations, a conservation assessment following IUCN criteria, distribution and phenology data and a fruit size dataset for all E. sect. Umbellatae species from the Atlantic Forest.
Project(s)
Priority 4: Accelerated Taxonomy
Funder
| Funder name | Awards |
Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Brazil | Article Processing Charge (APC) |
Journal title
Kew Bulletin
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Place of publication
Berlin/Heidelberg, Germany
ISSN
0075-5974
eISSN
1874-933X
Date accepted
September 1, 2025
Official URL
Rights statement
In Copyright
Additional information
IF = 0.9 (2024)