Floral morphology in Eugenia (Myrtaceae): evaluation of colleters in Eugenia sect. Jossinia and Eugenia sect. Umbellatae as a contribution to the delimitation of morphological groups.

• Grant number: 24/20258-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 20, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Plant Morphology
• Principal Investigator: Fiorella Fernanda Mazine Capelo
• Grantee: Vinícius Luvizotto Denardi
• Supervisor: Eve Lucas
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias para a Sustentabilidade (CCTS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Sorocaba , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/00154-2 - Floral morphology in Eugenia (Myrtaceae): evaluation of colleters as a support for the delimitation of morphological groups of Eugenia species, BP.IC

Abstract

Eugenia L. is one of the largest genera in the world, comprising 1,223 species with a pantropical distribution, with 416 species in Brazil. The infrageneric taxonomy genus is divided into 11 sections. Studies have pointed to the existence of colleters in various groups within Myrtaceae, but there are few studies that refer to colleters within Eugenia. This project aims to contribute to the understanding of the taxonomy of Eugenia species through the morphological analysis of colleters, mainly in two sections: Eugenia sect. Jossinia (the only section of Eugenia with exclusively extra-American distribution, with aa. 200 species) and "clade C" of E. sect. Umbellatae, (with aa. 35 species, from Caribbean and Continental Central America). The project aims to i. evaluate the presence/absence of colleters of the species, ii. examine their associations with different reproductive phases of the plant (floral bud, flower, and fruit), iii. assess the importance of colleters as a taxonomic character. The project will be based on voucher specimens deposited in the K Herbarium, at the Royal Botanic Garden Kew (RBG Kew), London, England, which is one of the largest herbaria in the world, and with staff with large experience in Myrtaceae taxonomy. The collection of the K herbarium has a comprehensive collection of Myrtaceae specimens from all over the world, including historical Brazilian specimens (types) and collections of species from Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean, which are the main focus of this proposal. The specimens will be examined, taking morphometric measurements, such as the width and length of the colleters, as well as the quantity and its location on the individual. The morphology and anatomy of the colleters will also be analyzed using traditional light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) at the Jodrell Laboratory in RBG Kew. Materials will be imaged and combined with existing data from Brazilian species, providing a comprehensive understanding of colleters in Eugenia and their taxonomic use in the genus.