# Chiococca alba

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For other uses, see [Bermudiana (disambiguation)](/source/Bermudiana_(disambiguation)).

***Chiococca alba*** is a species of [flowering plant](/source/Flowering_plant) in the [coffee](/source/Coffea) family ([Rubiaceae](/source/Rubiaceae)) native to [Florida](/source/Florida) and the extreme southern tip of [Texas](/source/Texas) in the [United States](/source/United_States),[3] [Bermuda](/source/Bermuda),[2] [Mexico](/source/Mexico), [Central America](/source/Central_America), the [Caribbean](/source/Caribbean), the [Galápagos](/source/Gal%C3%A1pagos), and [tropical](/source/Tropics) [South America](/source/South_America). Common names include **David's milkberry**, **West Indian milkberry**, **cahinca**[4] and **West Indian snowberry**.[5] The [specific epithet](/source/Specific_name_(botany)), *alba*, means "white" in [Latin](/source/Latin) and refers to the color of its [fruits](/source/Fruit).[6]

## Description

West Indian milkberry is an [evergreen](/source/Evergreen)[4] [woody](/source/Woody_plant) [vine](/source/Vine) or scrambling [shrub](/source/Shrub) that often grows on other vegetation and may reach a height of 6 m (20 ft).[5] The [opposite](/source/Phyllotaxis), simple [leaves](/source/Leaf) are 5–11 cm (2.0–4.3 in) long and may be elliptic to ovate or broadly lanceolate in [shape](/source/Leaf_shape). Yellow, bell-shaped [flowers](/source/Flower) up to 1 cm (0.39 in) in length appear throughout the year[7] on [racemes](/source/Raceme) or [panicles](/source/Panicle) of six of to eight.[8] The [fruit](/source/Fruit) is a white [drupe](/source/Drupe) 4–7 mm (0.16–0.28 in) in diameter[7] that generally contains two dark brown [seeds](/source/Seed).[5]

## Taxonomy

*[Lonicera](/source/Honeysuckle) alba* was described in 1753 by [Carl Linnaeus](/source/Carl_Linnaeus).[9] It was moved to *[Chiococca](/source/Chiococca)* in 1893 by [A. S. Hitchcock](/source/A._S._Hitchcock),[1] and is considered the [type species](/source/Type_species) of that genus.[10] [Stewardson Brown](/source/Stewardson_Brown) described the [Bermuda](/source/Bermuda) population of the plant as a new species, *C. bermudiana*, in 1909 due to its lighter green and larger leaves, larger berries, and wider and longer [pedicels](/source/Pedicel_(botany)). Many authorities consider *C. bermudiana* a [synonym](/source/Synonym_(taxonomy)) of *C. alba*.[2]

## Uses

*Chiococca alba* is sometimes cultivated as an [ornamental](/source/Ornamental_plant) for its dark green, [evergreen](/source/Evergreen) foliage and white [drupes](/source/Drupe). It is used in [espalier](/source/Espalier) and grown on [trellises](/source/Trellis_(architecture)).[8] The [roots](/source/Root) have several uses in [herbal medicine](/source/Herbal_medicine), including as a [laxative](/source/Laxative), [diuretic](/source/Diuretic), [emetic](/source/Vomiting#Emetics), and [antidiarrhoeal](/source/Antidiarrhoeal).[5] The plant was sold commercially in [Europe](/source/Europe) and the [United States](/source/United_States) for those purposes at one time.[11]

## References

1. Sarkis, Samia (December 2009). ["Recovery plan for eight species of flowering plants, *Carex bermudia*, *Peperomia septentrionalis*, *Phaseolus lignosus*, *Erigeron darrellianus*, *Galium bermudense*, *Hypericum hypericoides*, *Psychotria lingustrifolia*, in Bermuda"](http://www.conservation.bm/publications/species-recovery-plans/Flowering%20Plants%20final_secured.pdf). Department of Conservation, Bermuda. p. 4. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110706150342/http://www.conservation.bm/publications/species-recovery-plans/Flowering%20Plants%20final_secured.pdf) 2011-07-06 at the Wayback Machine.

1. ["David's Milkberry, Snowberry, Milkberry, David's Root, Perlilla, Canica, Cahinca, Cainea, Caninara, Aceitillo, Madreselva, Lagrimas de San Pedro, Lagrimas de Maria, Oreja de Raton, Suelda, Consuelda, Bejuco de Berac, Bejuco de Berraco, Xcanchac-che"](http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/nativeshrubs/chiococcaalba.htm). Texas A&M University. Retrieved 2009-12-11.

1. ["*Chiococca alba* (L.) A.S. Hitchc."](http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CHAL8). *Native Plant Information Network*. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Retrieved 2009-12-11.

1. ["*Chiococca alba* (L.) A.S. Hitchc. West Indian snow-berry"](http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/shrubs/Chiococca%20alba.pdf). *International Institute of Tropical Forestry*. United States Forest Service. Retrieved 2009-12-11.

1. Hammer, Roger L. (2004). [*Florida Keys Wildflowers: A Field Guide to Wildflowers, Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of the Florida Keys*](https://books.google.com/books?id=ai97pkgIH5MC). Globe Pequot. p. 104. ISBN 978-0-7627-2569-4.[dead link]

1. Nelson, Gil (1996). [*The Shrubs and Woody Vines of Florida: a Reference and Field Guide*](https://books.google.com/books?id=Wzmo7cHvhZkC). Pineapple Press Inc. p. 297. ISBN 978-1-56164-110-9.

1. Gilman, Edward F. (October 1999). ["Chiococca alba"](http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/CHIALBA.PDF). *Cooperative Extension Service Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences*. University of Florida. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20090116092436/http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/CHIALBA.PDF) January 16, 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2009-12-12.

1. ["*Chiococca* P. Browne"](http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40007077). *TROPICOS*. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 2009-12-11.

1. Austin, Daniel F. (2004). [*Florida Ethnobotany*](https://books.google.com/books?id=eS7lX_rC3GEC). CRC Press. pp. 200–202. ISBN 978-0-8493-2332-4.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Chiococca alba](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiococca_alba) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiococca_alba?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.