Bontia daphnoides is a much-branched shrub that grows up to 12 feet tall. The leaves are narrowly oblong and tapered at both ends. Flowers are solitary or paired in the leaf axils, and are bilaterally symmetrical, 2-lipped, yellow in color, with purple spots outside. The inside of the flower tube is covered in long purplish hairs. Fruit are egg-shaped, yellow drupes, tapering at the apex.
(Staples, George, and Derral R. Herbst. A Tropical Garden Flora: Plants Cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and Other Tropical Places. Honolulu, Hawai'i: Bishop Museum, 2005.)
Bontia daphnoides is occasionally grown as an ornamental or hedge plant in tropical areas.
Native to the West Indies, Bahamas, and coastal Venezuela.
We currently have 9 herbarium specimens for Bontia daphnoides in our collection. Click on any specimen below to view the herbarium sheet data.
