About 15 species of evergreen shrubs or small trees. Leaves alternate, glossy dark green, serrate to entire, petioles short. Flowers white to pink, calyx 5-lobed, 5 petals, 15-20 stamens. Fruit globose, often black, usually 1-seeded.
Rhaphiolepis: from Greek rhaphis, needle, and lepis, scale, referring to the narrow bracteoles of the inflorescence.
Pronunciation:
raf-i-o-LE-pis
Family:
Rosaceae