Line engraving by Gerald Sibelius, after Sydney Parkinson (1769).
Joseph Banks and his party saw this species at: Otaheite, Society Islands (13 April-1 June and 4 June-13 July 1769) This small shrub and its close relatives are found on most of the higher islands in eastern Polynesia. The older branchlets have dark red fruits, while the younger ones have paler leaves and white flowers.