Ocotea coriacea

Native to southern Florida, southeastern Mexico, parts of Central America and the Caribbean, this evergreen shrub or tree belongs to the laurel family. Its narrow leaves have yellowish stalks and midribs. Clusters of small white flowers are followed by single-seeded fruits that turn black when ripe. In the Bahamas, it grows in dry evergreen forest and shrubland on limestone. Its oily wood has traditionally been used for torches. Photographed in Colombia.