Nashia inaguensis is an evergreen

Evergreen

In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...

 shrub

Shrub

A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...

, commonly referred to as Moujean Tea, Bahamas Berry, or Pineapple Verbena. It is native to the east Caribbean

Caribbean

The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

 islands, in particular the island of Inagua

Inagua

Inagua is the southernmost district of the Bahamas comprising the islands of Great Inagua and Little Inagua.Great Inagua is the third largest island in The Bahamas at 596 sq mi and lies about 55 miles from the eastern tip of Cuba. The island is about 55 x 19 miles in extent, the highest point...

 in the Bahamas, after which the species is named. In its native environment, the plant crawls along sunny, rocky outcroppings, semi-protected from steady high winds.

It is a loose, spreading shrub with many branches up to 2 m high, with mature trunks of 5–10 cm diameter. The leaves

Leaf

A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....

 are aromatic, simple, opposite (or fascicled), elliptic to obovate or spatulate, 5–10 mm long, with revolute margins. The flower

Flower

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...

heads are axillary, sessile, few-flowered, with a strigose calyx; the corolla is whitish, about 2 mm long, four-lobed, and with four stamens. The fragrant foliage and tiny white flowers are highly attractive to pollinators, in particular the Atala butterfly.

Cultivation and uses

It is often used as a bonsai plant due to its miniaturized features. The flowers form in clusters and are followed by reddish orange berries. It prefers full sun, warmth (a minimum temperature of 5 °C) and must be kept under high humidity. Even a brief spell of dryness can kill the plant. It can be propagated from cuttings, preferably in the spring and early summer during warm nights. A decoction

Decoction

Decoction is a method of extraction, by boiling, of dissolved chemicals, or herbal or plant material, which may include stems, roots, bark and rhizomes. Decoction involves first mashing, and then boiling in water to extract oils, volatile organic compounds, and other chemical substances...

of the fragrant leaves, variously described as having the scent and flavor of citrus, vanilla, or pineapple, is used as an herbal tea.