Singapore Holly (Malpighia coccigera)
Description
Malpighia coccigera is a species of flowering plant in the family Malpighiaceae, that is native to the Caribbean. It is commonly known as Singapore holly or dwarf holly due to the shape of its leaves, but is not a true holly (genus Ilex). Its white flowers are followed by red berries, which are technically drupes. The fruit are favorite by birds that disperse the seeds through droppings. It is grown as an ornamental plant and often used to make bonsai. Malpighia is a genus of flowering plants in the nance family, Malpighiaceae. It contains about 45 species of shrubs or small trees, all of which are native to the American tropics.The generic name honours Marcello Malpighi, a 17th-century Italian physician and botanist.The species grow to 1-6 m (3.3-19.7 ft) tall, with a dense, often thorny crown. The leaves are evergreen, simple, 0.5-15 cm (0.20-5.91 in) long, with an entire or serrated margin. The flowers are solitary or in umbels of two to several together, each flower 1-2 cm (0.39-0.79 in) diameter, with five white, pink, red, or purple petals. The fruit is a red, orange or purple drupe, containing 2-3 hard seeds. M. emarginata is cultivated for its sweet and juicy fruits, which are very rich in vitamin C.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Malpighiales
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Family: Malpighiaceae
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Genus: Malpighia
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