Myrsine nukuhivensis Fosberg & Sachet

Myrsine nukuhivensis Fosberg & Sachet

Frutex vel arbor glabra; foliis vix coriaceis ellipticis vel elliptico-oblongis maxime 25 × 11 cm, apicibus et basibus acutis subvenulosis utrinque punctatis, petiolis 7–15 mm longis 2–10 mm latisque in sicco; fructibus magis 15–20 mm diametro pedicellis 2–3 mm longis.

Glabrous shrub or tree up to 10 m tall, branchlets 3–5 mm thick; cataphylls ovate strongly acuminate, up to at least 7 mm long; leaves thin coriaceous, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, large, up to 25 cm × 11 cm (mostly 15–20 × 6–8 cm, except Hallé 2077a, which has much smaller leaves, narrowly elliptic, or elliptic-lanceolate, 10–14 × 3–4 cm, petiole 9–12 mm), acute at both ends, apex blunt, blade somewhat black-punctate on either side, veins not very prominent, 5–15 mm apart, proximately curving downward to fuse with midrib, some weaker ones between, anastomosing distally into a looping submarginal vein from 3 to 10 mm from margin, network of 2–3 orders of prominence between veins, petiole 7–15 mm long, 2–10 mm thick when dried; dried fruits on pedicels 2–3 mm long, subglobose, to 6 mm long, somewhat narrower when dry (only present on no. 2214, on label said to be red, 1.5–1.7 cm diameter when fresh; in no. 2180, said to be bright red, 2 cm, seeds 5 mm diameter).

Possibly related to M. longifolia Nadeaud of Tahiti, but differs in the much larger fruit, as well as generally smaller leaves.

SPECIMENS SEEN.—Marquesas Islands: Nukuhiva I.: s. slopes of Mt. Tapuaooa, Gillett 2180 (BISH, US);Toovii Valley near Tapuaooa shelter, 900 m, Gillett 2214 (BISH, US, type, P); Ooumuu Mt., 3500 ft [1160m], Mumford & Adamson 581 (BISH); plateau de Tovii, savane, Hallé 2077a (US).

Myrsine nukuhivensis Fosberg & Sachet

Myrsine nukuhivensis Fosberg & Sachet, Smithsonian Contr. Bot., 21:9, 1975.

Glabrous shrub or tree up to 10 m tall, branchlets 3–5 mm thick; cataphylls ovate strongly acuminate, up to at least 7 mm long; leaves thin coriaceous, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, large, up to 25 cm × 11 cm (mostly 15–20 × 6–8 cm, except Hallé 2077a, which has much smaller leaves, narrowly elliptic, or elliptic-lanceolate, 10–14 × 3–4 cm, petiole 9–12 mm), acute at both ends, apex blunt, blade somewhat black-punctate on either side, veins not very prominent, 5–15 mm apart, proximately curving downward to fuse with midrib, some weaker ones between, anastomosing distally into a looping submarginal vein from 3 to 10 mm from margin, network of 2–3 orders of prominence between veins, petiole 7–15 mm long, 2–10 mm thick when dried; dried fruits on pedicels 2–3 mm long, subglobose, to 6 mm long, somewhat narrower when dry (only present on no. 2214, on label said to be red, 1.5–1.7 cm diameter when fresh; in no. 2180, said to be bright red, 2 cm, seeds 5 mm diameter).

SPECIMENS SEEN.—Nukuhiva I.: s. slopes of Mt. Tapuaooa, Gillett 2180 (BISH, US); Toovii Valley near Tapuaooa shelter, 900 m, Gillett 2214 (BISH, US, P); Ooumuu Mt., 3500 ft [1100–1200 m], PES (M & A) 581 (BISH, LeB); plateau de Tovii, savane, Hallé 2077a (US).

Myrsine nukuhivensis is a species of plant in the family Primulaceae. It is a shrub or tre endemic to the island of Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia.