| Eugenia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Eugenia sprengelii | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Subfamily: | Myrtoideae |
| Tribe: | Myrteae |
| Genus: | Eugenia P.Micheli ex L. |
| Type species | |
| Eugenia uniflora | |
| Species | |
Over 1,100; seelist ofEugenia species | |
| Synonyms[1][2] | |
List
| |
Eugenia is agenus offlowering plants in the myrtle familyMyrtaceae. It has a worldwide, although highly uneven, distribution in tropical and subtropical regions. The bulk of the approximately 1,100species occur in theNew World tropics, especially in the easternBrazil's northernAndes, theCaribbean, and theAtlantic Forest (coastal forests). Other centers of diversity includeNew Caledonia andMadagascar. Many species in theOld World have received a newclassification into the genusSyzygium.[3]
All species are woodyevergreentrees andshrubs. Several are grown as ornamental plants for their attractive glossy foliage, and a few produce edible fruit that are eaten fresh or used in jams and jellies.
The genus was named in honor ofPrince Eugene of Savoy.[4]
Many species new to science have been and are in the process of being described from these regions. For example, 37 new species ofEugenia have been described fromMesoamerica in the past few years.[when?] At least 20 new species are currently[when?] being described from New Caledonia, and approximately the same number of species new to science may occur inMadagascar.[citation needed] Despite the enormous ecological importance of the myrtle family inAustralia (e.g.Eucalyptus,Corymbia,Angophora,Melaleuca,Callistemon,Rhodamnia,Gossia), only one species ofEugenia,E. reinwardtiana, occurs on that continent. The genus also is represented in Africa south of theSahara, but it is relatively species-poor on that continent. In the past somebotanists[which?] included the morphologically similarOld World genusSyzygium inEugenia, but research by Rudolf Schmid in the early 1970s convinced most botanists that the genera are easily separable. Research by van Wyk and colleagues inSouth Africa suggests the genus may comprise at least two major lineages, recognizable by anatomical and other features.[citation needed]
Molecular phylogenetic studies have changed the historicalcircumscription of the genus. Many species formerly placed inEugenia have been moved toSyzygium.[5] Two others have been reassigned toPimenta.[6] TheCaribbean generaHottea,Calyptrogenia andPseudanamomis were shown to be embedded inEugenia.[7] The monotypic Indian genusMeteoromyrtus was also found to be part ofEugenia.[8]
Selected species include:
Eugenia species are sometimes used as food plants by thelarvae ofhepialidmoths of the generaAenetus (includingA. splendens) andEndoclita (includingE. damor andE. malabaricus).Aenetus species burrow horizontally into the trunk then vertically down. OtherLepidoptera larvae which feed onEugenia includeEupseudosoma aberrans and thesnowy eupseudosoma.
