Wild Coffee
Psychotria nervosa
Plant Family: Rubiaceae
Leaves: Opposite, simple, elliptic, glossy, bright green, with pointed apices, to 15 cm; the veins are depressed and very prominent.
Bark: Light brown, smooth, with multiple trunks.
Flowers: Small, white, sessile, with 5 petals, in clusters in the leaf axils, they attract insect pollinators; early spring to summer.
Fruits: A dark red-brown drupe, in rounded clusters in the leaf axils, relished by birds; fall to winter.
Habitat: Common in the understory of hammocks and pinelands, it is also widely cultivated for its distinctive leaves.
Growth Form: Usually a shrub, rarely a small tree.
Similar Species: Three other Psychotria species are also called Wild Coffee – P. sulzneri has leaves that are not glossy; P. ligustrifolia has long stalked flower clusters; P. punctata has dots on the bottom of the leaves.
Comments: Plants in the genus Psychotria are related to the true coffees, but the berries will not yield that popular beverage. Wild Coffee also grows in the West Indies and Central America.
