This Caribbean native is Rat Wood, Erythroxylum rotundifolium.

It usually grows as a shrub or small tree, with slender branches and small, rounded, leathery leaves. The species name rotundifolium refers to those characteristically rounded leaves.

Its flowers are small and pale, so they can easily be overlooked. After pollination, however, the plant produces bright red, berry-like fruits. Botanically, each fruit is a drupe, containing a single seed. The vivid fruits stand out clearly against the dark green foliage and may be eaten by birds, which help disperse the seeds.

Rat Wood is found in the Caribbean and parts of Central America. It commonly grows in dry forests, shrublands, and other areas where it must tolerate strong sunlight and periods of limited rainfall.

It belongs to the same genus as the cultivated coca plant of South America, but Rat Wood is a separate wild Caribbean species. Its value here is ecological rather than commercial: it contributes to the native woodland and provides fruit for wildlife.

It may not have the dramatic flowers of some tropical ornamentals, but its rounded leaves and brilliant red fruits reward anyone who takes the time to look closely.