Ardisia elliptica

Ardisia elliptica Thunb.

Common Names: Duck’s Eyes, Shoe Button

Family: Primulaceae

Habit: Ardisia elliptica grows as a shrub to small tree up to 7 meters in height.  The leaves are arranged alternately but group at branch tips, obovate to oblanceolate, slightly fleshy, up to 20 cm long (typically shorter), with a obtuse/acute leaf apex and an entire margin.

The complete, perfect, actinomorphic flowers occur in panicles. The calyx has 5 unfused, round, green/translucent sepals.  The corolla has 5 fused at the base, pink petals that form a short tube with reflexed lobes.  There are 5 bright yellow stamens that are appressed to the style. The ovary is superior with 1 locule and many ovules.  The fruit is a purple-black berry at maturity.

Habitat: Ardisia elliptica grows in inland Mangrove systems and Fresh Water Wetlands.

Distribution: Ardisia elliptica is NOT native to the Lucayan Archipelago but has been observed on New Providence in the Cable Beach area.  It is native to the Indian subcontinent and Asia.  It now occurs in Australia, northern South America, parts of the Caribbean region, Hawaii, and Florida.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Ardisia elliptica is not known to be used medicinally in the Lucayan Archipelago.

Ardisia elliptica is a NON-NATIVE INVASIVE species and should be removed.