Ironwood, redberry stopper

Eugenia garberi Sargent

Trees or shrubs, to ca. 6 m, glabrous or glabrate through­out. Twigs terete or weakly compressed; bark reddish brown, tan, or gray. Leaves drying green or olive; petiole channeled, 3–9 mm; blade ovate to elliptic-ovate, 2.5–6 × 1–3 cm, leathery, base rounded to cuneate, margins cartilaginous, apex caudate-acuminate, surfaces with numerous or obscure glands, smooth adaxially when fresh, often appearing wrinkled when dry. Inflorescences 1–8-flowered, racemes, solitary; axis 1–4 mm; bud obconic, ca. 2 mm; bracteoles caducous around anthesis, ovate, 0.5–1 mm, base distinct, apex obtuse to rounded. Pedicels 6–15 mm. Flowers: hypanthium obconic, 1.5–2 mm; calyx lobes in unequal pairs, larger pair 1–1.5 × 0.5–0.8 mm, apex rounded; petals obovate, 3–3.5 × 2.5–3.5 mm, apex rounded; disc 2 mm diam.; stamens ca. 40, 2–3.5 mm; style 2–5 mm. Berries bright red, globose to obo­void, 6–9 mm diam.; calyx persistent.

Flowering and fruiting year-round. Coastal hammocks; 0–20 m; Fla.; West Indies.

Eugenia confusa is known in the flora area from Martin and Miami-Dade counties, and the Keys in Monroe County.