About Schaefferia frutescens Jacq.
Schaefferia frutescens, commonly known as Florida-boxwood, is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae. It is native to tropical regions of the Americas: its range extends from southern Florida in the United States, south through the Caribbean to Central America and northwestern South America (Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador), and it also grows in Veracruz, Mexico. In Florida, it grows at elevations near sea level, while in Puerto Rico it can grow up to 600 m in altitude. It is an evergreen shrub, or rarely a small tree, that reaches 4–5 m in height, and can grow exceptionally up to 8 m tall. It usually produces several stems from the base, with the largest stems reaching up to 18 cm in diameter. Its bark is smooth and light gray, and is roughened by many narrow ridges. Its leaves are leathery and yellow-green, measuring 4–7 cm long and 12–25 mm broad. Its small pale green to whitish flowers grow in small clusters in the leaf axils. Its fruit is an orange-red to red berry with a 4–8 mm diameter.
