Common Name: Blood berry, Pigeon berry. Tamil Name: Rakthanelli
Blood berry perennial sub-shrub of Southern USA often seen around shady edges of Western Ghats area. The plant is often planted as an ornamental, the main attractions being its bloody colored berries. The simple leaves are arranged in an alternate manner. The stem is mostly green in color and striated. Blood berry plant is glabrous and have a rich humus smell. The leaf stalk and leaf length measure around 2.1 cm and 6 cm respectively. The leaf shape is ovate-elliptic; the tip is acute and base is rounded. The leaf nerves are whitish in color and exposed on the lower surface of the leaf. The leaf margin is wavy and the feebly crenulate. The inflorescence is in the form of an axillary raceme. The flower stalk measure around 2-3 mm long. The flowers are whitish in color tipped with pink color. The flowers have 4 stamens. The fruit is in the form of coral red berry with a single seed. The berries are initially green in color and later mature into red color. They measure around 3 mm across. The star shaped calyx elements hold the fruit. Blood berry is often sold in plant nurseries as an ornamental plant.
