Myrsine obovata (Moore) Fosberg & Sachet

Rapanea obovata Moore

Rapanea obovata Moore, Bish, Mus. Bull. 102:37. 1933.

DESCRIPTION.—“Shrub, 2.5 m. high,” glabrous. Leaves clustered at the tips of the branches. Petioles 4–6 (3–9) mm long. Blades obovate to oblanceolate, somewhat rhombic in outline, 16.5–20.5 × 5.1–6.2 cm, obtuse, slightly abruptly attenuate at the tip, tapering to a subcuneate base, pergameneous, rather dark green, conspicuously and densely black-punctate with dots and lines which are yellow and pellucid by transmitted light. Umbels regularly 7-flowered (not 3–5 as described), though fewer fruits ripening. Flowers unknown. Pedicels 6–8 (5–9) mm long. Calyx tube 0.5 mm long, lobes deltoid-ovate, 1.2 mm long, acutish, glandular-ciliolate. Drupe ellipsoidal or slightly ovate or obovate, fleshy, 6.5–7 × 5.5 mm when dry, greenish, with prominent longitudinal dark red puncticulations.

From the published descriptions Moore is correct in relating this to R. vescoi, from which it differs in the oblanceolate leaves and the longer pedicels, though the pedicel length (“short”) of R. vescoi is unknown. We have assigned a specimen to R. vescoi which has shorter pedicels, but the leaves are oblanceolate to elliptical as in this species. Any further comparison of R. vescoi and R. obovata is impossible due to the fragmentary description of the former (fruit unknown) and the apparent loss of the type. See the key above for a list of differences which indicate that R. obovata may be merely a large edition of R. vescoi.

TYPE.—Collected by Moore in Raiatea in 1927.

RANGE.—Society Islands: Raiatea: Moore 521, Avera Valley, alt. 300 m, on clay ridge, 11 January 1927, fruit (BISH, type; MIN).

Myrsine obovata (Moore) Fosberg & Sachet

Rapanea obovata J. W. Moore, Bishop Mus. Bull. 102:37, 1933.—Grant, Fosberg, and Smith, Smithsonian Contr. Bot., 17:18, 1974.

Described from and endemic to Raiatea.

Myrsine obovata is a species of plant in the family Primulaceae. It is endemic to the island of Raiatea, in the Society Islands of French Polynesia.

Myrsine obovata là một loài thực vật thuộc họ Myrsinaceae. Đây là loài đặc hữu của Polynésie thuộc Pháp.