Foliar architecture of Myrtaceae native species of the Argentinian flora IV. Tribes Myrteae and Metrosidereae and key based on foliar characters.

Abstract

Foliar architecture of Myrtaceae native species of the Argentinian flora IV. Tribes Myrteae and Metrosidereae and key based on foliar characters. This work completes the leaf architecture of native species of Myrtaceae from Argentina. In this contribution are studied two native genus of the tribe Myrteae with uncertain position in the past, and the only one native genus of tribe Metrosidereae in South
America. One species of Blepharocalyx and two species of Eugenia are simple, with variable apex and base, leathery texture and entire margin. First vein pinnate, simple and straight, without agrophic veins,
second veins broquidodromous, with or without paramarginal and intramarginal veins, third and fourth veins random reticulate or percurrent, and fifth vein random reticulate, percurrent or dichotomized. With or without areoles, with venules branching one, two or more times. The last marginal venation can be complete or incomplete. The leaves of genus Metrosideros are characterized by simple, with acute apex and cuneate base, leathery texture and entire margin. First vein category suprabasal-acrodromous, with agrophic veins, second vein cladodromous or branched, without paramarginal veins and intramarginal veins, and third vein dichotomized. Not develop areoles. Venules branched two or more times. The last marginal venation can be incomplete. Finally, is presented a key to differentiate all native Argentinian species of Myrtaceae, based on characters or character combinations of foliar architecture.