This small shrub is a native of the West Indies. Its dull-green leaves are opposite, ovate and glabrous, either entire or spiny-toothed. The rose-colored flowers are axillary and five-petaled. The bright red fruit is about the size of a cherry, and has a thin skin, and its acid pulp is used for jam and preserves. The seeds or stones are large, four-angled, and germinate readily; plants are also produced by cuttings. Though not common in these Islands, there are, however, a few specimens of this plant to be found in several of the private gardens of Honolulu.