Monnina sylvatica

Native from Mexico to Central America, this shrub grows in moist tropical habitats. Its elongated flower clusters carry small violet-purple blooms with contrasting yellow keels. The flowers have a pea-like outline but belong to the milkwort family, Polygalaceae. It grows along forest edges; in Costa Rica, it has been recorded at about 4,900 feet. The fruits ripen from green to black. Photographed in Panama.