Plant Family: Belongs to the Boraginaceae family, which includes Coco Poule (Cordia reticulata), the famous Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) and Cotlette (Bourreria succulenta).

Description: Small, evergreen, ornamental tree or large shrub, near Pavillion, up to 9 m (30 ft); leaves large and ovate, 8-22 cm long (3-9 in) and 15 cm broad (6 in), dark green, with rough, sandpaper texture on upper surface; flowers orange-red, funnel-shaped, 3-5 cm long (1-2 in) and about 3 cm in corolla diameter (1 in), in terminal clusters of up to 15 blossoms per cluster, flowering most of the year; fruit a drupe, plum-like and edible, up to 4 cm long (1.6 in), in persistent calyx, ripe fruit white and pointed.

Natural Habitat: Dry districts on sandy soils, often occurring along sea coast at elevations up to 185 m (600 ft); grows larger when cultivated.

Origin and Distribution: Native to the West Indies and tropical America; introduced as ornamental in Old World tropics.

Uses: Attractive shade tree, often planted as a street tree in Caribbean, eg. in Barbados.

References:
G.W. Lennox and S.A. Seddon. Flowers of the Caribbean. Macmillan, London 1978
H.F. Macmillan. Tropical Planting and Gardening. Macmillan, London 1956
C.D. Adams. Flowering Plants of Jamaica. University of the West Indies, Mona, Glasgow University Press 1972
Robert A. DeFilipps. Useful Plants of the Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 1998
Dan H. Nicolson. Flora of Dominica, Part 2: Dicotyledoneae. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 1991