Plant Listings

Scaevola plumieri (L.) Vahl

Common Name: Black Ink Berry, Black Soap, Mad Moll

Family: Goodeniaceae

Habit: Scaevola plumieri grows as low shrub to 1.5 m occasionally rooting at the nodes when buried by sand to create rounded mats. The leaves are arranged alternately to 15 centimeters long and 5 centimeters wide, slightly orange along the edges. The semi succulent glabrous blades are ovate/obovate/oblanceolate. There are never hairs in the axils.

The complete, perfect, zygomorphic flowers are in cymes arising in leaf axils. The calyx has 5 fused, green sepals subtended by 2 bracts. The corolla splits forming an apparent half flower appearance and has 5 fused pinkish white petals covered with hairs at their base. There are 5 functional stamens fused to the side of the corolla. The inferior ovary with 2 locules and 2 ovules. The fruit is a drupe turning dark blue/black at maturity.

Habitat: Scaevola plumieri grows in Dunes and coastal zones.

Distribution: Scaevola plumieri occurs throughout the island groupings of the Lucayan Archipelago, Caribbean, Florida, tropical and subtropical Western Hemisphere.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic Usage: Scaevola plumieri is not known to be used medicinally in the Lucayan Archipelago.

Scaevola plumieri is an important Dune species and helps to maintain healthy coastlines.