Gonzalagunia hirsuta

Native to southeastern Mexico, the Caribbean and tropical South America, this shrub grows in moist forests and secondary woodland. Slender stems are densely covered with short, stiff hairs. Opposite, pointed leaves have hairy surfaces and prominent veins beneath. Long, bending flower clusters carry small groups of blossoms near their bases and more widely spaced flowers toward their tips. White flowers have narrow tubes, four spreading lobes and hairy throats. Small, rounded fruits develop after flowering. Birds eat the fruits and disperse the seeds, helping the shrub colonize regenerating woodland. Photographed in Colombia.