With as many as 1000 included species, Syzygium s.l. (including Syzygium and segregate genera such as Acmena, Acmenosperma, Cleistocalyx, Piliocalyx, and Waterhousea) comprises one of the major lineages within Myrtaceae, and is an important component of the Old-World tropical rainforest flora. As with other large genera, high species richness, an extensive distribution and relative homogeneity in morphology have hindered attempts to divide Syzygium s.l. Here, we investigate higher level relationships within the group, using parsimony and Bayesian analyses of cpDNA sequences from the matK and ndhF genes and the rpl 16 intron, generated for a total of 87 species from the Syzygium group and eight outgroup taxa. Within the ingroup, four major well supported clades are found, which form a basal polytomy along with S. wesa and monotypic Anetholea. Generally, the molecular data provide little support for traditional divisions of Syzygium s.l., and the recognition of segregate groups such as Acmena, Acmenosperma, Cleistocalyx, Piliocalyx and Waterhousea. While homoplasy amongst morphological characters has misled attempts to divide the group, detailed and critical assessments of placental, ovular and seed morphology may provide novel insights into evolutionary relationships, and are an important future step in the development of a sound higher level taxonomy for Syzygium s.l.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/25065530.pdf

Molecular systematics of Syzygium and allied genera (Myrtaceae): evidence from the chloroplast genome

1 Recommended citation: SYZWG (2016) Syzygium Working Group 2 Faculty of Science & Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. 3 The Mauritius Herbarium, Agricultural Services, Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security; R. E. Vaughan Building, Reduit, Mauritius. 4 Plant Gateway, 5 Talbot Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire, SG13 7BX, UK. 5 School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK. 6 School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia. 7 Ecology & Ecosystem Research, Georg-August-University Gottingen, Untere Karspule 2, 37073 Gottingen, Germany. 8 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Botany, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands. 9 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, TW9 3AE, UK. 10 Department of Biosciences, University of Mauritius, Reduit, Mauritius. 11 Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Sciences, Bengaluru, 560012, India. 12 Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bengaluru, India 13 Department of Biology, Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Kansas, U.S.A. 14 College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 530005, PR China. 15 Royal Botanic Gardens, Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia

Syzygium (Myrtaceae): Monographing a taxonomic giant via 22 coordinated regional revisions

Based on morphological and molecular data, we have concluded that Acmena, Acmenosperma, Cleistocalyx, Piliocalyx and Waterhousea should be combined with Syzygium The five genera are formally transferred to Syzygium and new names provided for those of their accepted representatives for which names are as yet not available in Syzygium, with the exception of the New Caledonian members of Piliocalyx as these currently are being revised

/pdf/acmena-acmenosperma-cleistocalyx-piliocalyx-and-waterhousea-3u069occne.pdf

Acmena, Acmenosperma, Cleistocalyx, Piliocalyx and Waterhousea formally transferred to Syzygium (Myrtaceae)

The distinction between Anetholea and Syzygium is lessened due to the occurrence of epigeal germination and dry fruitedness in the latter genus also and it is concluded that Anetholea is better placed within Syzygium. Analysis of sequence data from nuclear ribosomal DNA and the chloroplast genome support this conclusion. The sole species of Anetholea, A. anisata, is transferred to Syzygium and the new combination, S. anisatum (Vickery) Craven & Biffin, made. Syzygium wilsonii subsp. cryptophlebium is reinstated at species rank, necessitating the new combination, S. cryptophlebium (F. Muell.) Craven & Biffin. Two new taxa of Syzygium are described from Australia, S. wilsonii subsp. epigaeum Craven & Biffin and S. maraca Craven & Biffin.

/pdf/anetholea-anisata-transferred-to-and-two-new-australian-taxa-30olnhgtnx.pdf

Anetholea anisata transferred to, and two new Australian taxa of, Syzygium (Myrtaceae)

. Five new species of Syzygium are described from the island of New Guinea. One species, Syzygium neurophyllum, occurs in Papua Province, Indonesia. Four species, S. purpuricarpum, S. rambutyense, S. ridsdalei, and S. watutense occur in Papua New Guinea. Four of the five species are known only from the type gathering, but each is easily diagnosed from congeneric members of Syzygium occurring on New Guinea. The conservation status following IUCN guidelines is proposed for each new species, four of which are considered Vulnerable, and one of which is considered Endangered.

https://bioone.org/journals/harvard-papers-in-botany/volume-15/issue-1/025.015.0105/Five-New-Species-of-Syzygium-Myrtaceae-from-New-Guinea/10.3100/025.015.0105.pdf

Five new species of Syzygium (Myrtaceae) from New Guinea.

The following new species of Syzygium are described from Queensland, Australia: S. fratris, S. glenum, S. monimioides and S. monospermum. Notes are provided as to their putative relationships.

/pdf/four-new-species-of-syzygium-myrtaceae-from-australia-4n3dzji94d.pdf

L.A. Craven

Papers

Four new species of Syzygium (Myrtaceae) from Australia