''Eugenia haematocarpa'' is a rare species of

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclud ...

in the family

Myrtaceae Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All speci ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

. It is classified as an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

by the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with oth ...

and there has been a plan for its recovery in place for some years. Its common names include ''uvillo'' and Luquillo Mountain stopper. Specimens of this

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

were first collected in 1939 in Naguabo.Pascarella, J. B. (2000)
A new record for the rare and endangered tree ''Eugenia haematocarpa'' Alain (Myrtaceae) in The Sierra de Cayey Mountains, Puerto Rico.
''Caribbean Journal of Science'' 36 1-2 146. It is known from the

Caribbean National Forest El Yunque National Forest ( es, Bosque Nacional El Yunque), formerly known as the Caribbean National Forest (or ''Bosque Nacional del Caribe''), is a forest located in northeastern Puerto Rico. It is the only tropical rainforest in the United Sta ...

and the

Sierra de Cayey Sierra de Cayey is a mountain range in the main island of Puerto Rico. It is located in the southeast section of the island. Its elevations do not exceed 1000 m (3,280 ft.). The Grande de Loíza, which is one of the most important rivers in Puer ...

on the eastern side of the island of Puerto Rico. It has been observed growing amongst ''

Syzygium jambos ''Syzygium jambos'' is a species of rose apple originating in Southeast Asia and occurring widely elsewhere, having been introduced as an ornamental and fruit tree.Janick, Jules. Paull, Robert E. The Encyclopedia of Fruit & Nuts. Publisher: ...

'', ''

Prestoea montana ''Prestoea montana'' (Vernacular English: Sierran palm;Tabebuia heterophylla ''Tabebuia heterophylla'' is a species of tree native to the Caribbean, and is also cultivated. It is also known as Roble blanco, pink manjack, pink trumpet tree, white cedar, and whitewood. Description ''Tabebuia heterophylla'' grows up to 20 ...

'', '' Ocotea leucoxylon'', ''

Inga laurina ''Inga laurina'' is a species of plant in the family Fabaceæ. It is found from Mexico south to Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South ...

'', and ''

Alchornea latifolia ''Alchornea latifolia'' is a species of tree in the family Euphorbiaceae Euphorbiaceae, the spurge family, is a large family of flowering plants. In English, they are also commonly called euphorbias, which is also the name of a genus in the ...

'' in mountain forest habitat. The main cause of the tree's rarity is

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

.USFWS
Recovery Plan for ''Pleodendron macranthum'' and ''Eugenia haematocarpa''.
September 1998. This is an

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

tree growing up to 6 meters tall with gray or whitish bark that strips away in plates. The leathery oval leaves are up to 18 centimeters long and are borne in pairs. Flowers occur in clusters on the trunk and each has four pink petals just over 2 centimeters long. The fruit is a dark red

berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...

between 2 and 3 centimeters in length.

References

USDA Plants Profile
Endemic flora of Puerto Rico haematocarpa Endangered plants Plants described in 1963 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Eugenia-stub