Casearia nitida (L.) Jacq.

Shrub or small tree 1.5-7.5 m tall, the branchlets inconspicuously puberulous to glabrous. Leaves short-petiolate, the petiole to 5(6) mm long, canaliculate above, inconspicuously puberulous to glabrous; blade oblong-elliptic to oblong-obovate, often narrowly so, the base oblique or not, + rounded to subcordate or sometimes obtuse, the apex usually bluntly short-acuminate, rarely long-acuminate or obtuse or rounded (and subemarginate?), the margins minutely serrulate to crenulate-serrulate, to 16 cm long and 5.5 cm wide, membranous to chartaceous, copiously provided with pellucid dots or lines, glabrous above, glabrous or incon-spicuously puberulous beneath, the costa and lateral veins prominent beneath. Inflorescences axillary, cymose-corymbiform, the axes glabrous to inconspicuously puberulous. Flowers white, the pedicels to 6 mm long, articulated below the middle, the bracteoles small and deltoid; calyx to 5 mm long, the lobes 5, united at the very base, elliptic, rounded, erect-patent at anthesis, inconspicuously puberu-bous; stamens 8, inserted at the apex of the calyx tube (or even above?), the filaments subequal, 2.5-3 mm long, glabrous, slightly united at the base among themselves and with the staminodes, the anthers oblong-ellipsoid, ca 0.7 mm long; staminodes 8, interstaminal, linear-spathulate,. 'to 1.5 mm long, pilose; gynoecium ca 4 mm long, the ovary ovoid, ca 1 mm in diam at the base, rather sparsely pilose as the style, attenuate into the style, the stigma capitate. Capsule globose to ellipsoid, with 3, rarely 4, prominent longitudinal ridges, to 15 mm long and 11 mm in diam, the pericarp glabrous, yellowish-orange or reddish when mature and fresh, blackish when dry; seeds 1-3, ovoid to angulate-ovoid, to 7(8) mm long, the testa glabrous but covered with numerous dark resinous glands, the aril incomplete.

A tropical plant. It grows in coastal and scrubby woodland. It grows well in seasonally moist and dry climates. It needs sandy, well-drained soils. It needs full sun or very light shade. It is salt tolerant. It suits hardines zones 10-12.

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings.