Ardisia escallonioides

Subshrubs or trees, not stoloniferous, 11–15.2 m; branchlets sparsely to densely rufous-papillate, sometimes also with multicellular hairs. Leaves: petiole 5–12 mm, glabrous; blade elliptic to oblanceolate, 3.2–17.5 × 1.3–6.2 cm, margins entire, flat, (without vascularized nodules), apex acute, surfaces glabrous. Inflorescences terminal, panicles of racemes, 6–18-flowered. Pedicels erect, 0.4–0.6 cm, sparsely to densely rufous-papillate. Flowers: sepals 5–6, ovate, 1.8–2 mm, margins entire, (glandular-ciliolate), apex acute, minutely papillate; petals 5–6, white to pink, lanceolate, 6.7–6.9 mm, margins entire, (hyaline, membranous), apex acute, punctate, with dense, yellow papillae adaxially at base, glabrous; stamens shorter than petals; anthers ovate to lanceolate, apex apiculate, punctate abaxially; ovary pellucid-punctate, glabrous; ovules 39–44, multiseriate. Drupes red, becoming black, 4–7 mm diam., punctate.

Phenology: Flowering May–Jun; fruiting Nov–May.
Habitat: Hammocks
Elevation: 0-30 m

Introduced; Fla., Mexico, West Indies (Barbados, Bermuda, Cuba, Dominican Republic), Central America (Belize, Guatemala).

Discussion

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa