Kokkoloba is a multi-leaved , or Pigeon plum ( lat. Coccolóba diversifólia ) - a fruit tree , a species of the genus Kokkoloba from the Buckwheat family, native to the coastal regions of the Caribbean Sea ( Belize , Guatemala , Southern Mexico , South Florida and the Bahamas ).
Pigeon plum |
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Scientific classification |
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Order : | Caryophyllanae Takht. , 1967 |
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International scientific name |
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Coccoloba diversifolia Jacq. |
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Botanical illustration of Nicolas Jacques from the book
Selectarum stirpium Americanarum historia (v. 2)
Pigeon plum is a small tree 10–18 m high with gray smooth bark and oval-oblong glossy leaves , 3–13 cm long and 1–7 cm wide, bright green above and pale below.
The flowers are numerous inconspicuous, appear in the spring.
The fruit is an edible dark purple berry with a diameter of 6-10 mm, ripening in the fall.
The plant is resistant to strong winds, salt and drought, but does not tolerate frost.