Nashia inaguensis — a medium houseplant
SPECIMEN · FROM THE LIBRARY
Nashia inaguensis

Nashia Inaguensis

Updated · 8 observations
ON THIS PLANT

Nashia inaguensis is an evergreen shrub, commonly referred to as Moujean tea, Bahamas berry, or pineapple verbena. It is native to the east Caribbean islands, in particular the island of Inagua in the Bahamas, after which the species is named. In its native environment, the plant crawls along sunny, rocky outcroppings, semi-protected from steady high winds. It is a loose, spreading shrub with many branches up to 2 m high, with mature trunks of 5–10 cm diameter. The leaves are aromatic, simple, opposite (or fascicled), elliptic to obovate or spatulate, 5–10 mm long, with revolute margins. The flowerheads are axillary, sessile, few-flowered, with a strigose calyx; the corolla is whitish, about 2 mm long, four-lobed, and with four stamens. The fragrant foliage and tiny white flowers are highly attractive to pollinators, in particular the Atala butterfly.

CHARACTERISTICS

Botanical profile.

Genus
Nashia
Family
Verbenaceae
ALSO KNOWN AS

Other names.

en Bahama cherry en El tuque
PLATES
Nashia inaguensis leaf
PLATE 01 · leaf
Nashia inaguensis leaf
PLATE 02 · leaf
Nashia inaguensis flower
PLATE 03 · flower
Nashia inaguensis bark
PLATE 04 · bark
Nashia inaguensis habit
PLATE 05 · habit