Palo De Hierro

Description

Small tree or shrub characterized by twigs with prominent swollen nodes; opposite narrowly elliptic leaves long-pointed at both ends, with paired pointed scales (stipules) at base; flowers - inch long with very narrow reddish or pink tube and 4 or 5 white lobes, nearly stalkless in lateral clusters scattered along the larger twigs to - inch in diameter mostly back of leaves; and rounded red or pink berries about 3/8 inch in diameter. An evergreen spreading shrub or small tree to 20 feet high and 3 inches or more in trunk diameter, hairless throughout. The dark brown bark is smoothish, slightly fissured, or scaly. Inner bark is light brown or pinkish and tasteless. Twigs are green, turning brown, with paired pointed scales (stipules) 1/8 - - inch long at nodes. Green petioles --- inch long support the blades which are 3-7- inches long and 1-3 inches broad, slightly thickened, the upper surface green or dark green and slightly shiny, beneath light green. Flower clusters (corymbs) are composed of a few fragrant flowers. The tubular base (hypanthium) about 1/16 inch long bears a short red calyx tube with 4 indistinct wavy teeth; the corolla has a very narrow reddish or pink tube 3/8 - - inch long and 1/32 inch in diameter and 4 or 5 broad, widely spreading, white lobes 5/16 inch across; there are 4 or 5 stamens at open end of tube; and the pistil consists of inferior 2-celled ovary with slender style and 2-lobed stigma.