Randia aculeata
Name: Randia mitis.
Region: south America, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana; central America, Panama to Mexico; Caribbean, Trinidad, Bahamas; Florida.
Habitat: lowland tropics and subtropics; thicket; open forests; drier coastal areas, limestone and lower montane; unburned pinelands; tolerant of dry soil, strong winds and hurricanes, low levels of salt; full sun or light shade; excessively drained and well drained soil.
Use: berries for a blue dye, ink; light brown wood is hard and heavy; stems for fishing rods are made from the rigid; wood for fuel; fruit, raw for of poor flavour; ornamental, as a bonsai specimen; pioneer species in dry areas prone to strong winds.
Botany
Deciduous shrub or small tree, growing slow, with a thin crown of many, nearly horizontal, spiny branches; to 6 metres tall. The short, straight bole can be 8 cm in diameter.
Flower: all year round.
Pollination: butterflies.
Fruit: green, globose berry, ± 1 cm, with 5 - 10 rounded seeds in a blue or black pulp.