Malpighia

Malpighia is a tropical fruit-bearing shrub or small tree in the family Malpighiaceae. Malpighia proctorii is a dense crowned shrub or small tree growing up to 4 m tall.  It contains about 45 species of shrubs or small trees, all of which are native to the American tropics. The leaves are evergreen, simple, 0.5–15 cm (0.20–5.91 in) long, with an entire or serrated margin. The flowers are solitary or in umbels of two to several together, each flower 1–2 cm (0.39–0.79 in) diameter, with five white, pink, red, or purple petals. Its young branches are reddish in color with short stiff hairs and petioles are usually densely hairy. Leaf blades are coriaceous, elliptic-oblong or obovate in shape and are flat or slightly undulate with an obtuse apex (Proctor, 1982).

The leaf margins are usually entire or slightly crenate. The leaves have a glossy dark green adaxial surface and glabrous or slightly hairy adaxial surface which is usually light green and densely hairy. Inflorescence are generally 2– 4 flowered and pink in color. Fruits are bright red in color when ripe and 8–10 mm in diameter.