| Ernodea littoralis | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Spermatophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Rubiaceae |
| Genus: | Ernodea |
| Species: | E. littoralis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Ernodea littoralis | |
Ernodea littoralis, commonly called beech creeper or coughbush,2 is a species of flowering plant in the coffee family (Rubiaceae). It is native to the Florida in the United States, the Caribbean region, and Central America south to Honduras.3 It is found in sunny, open areas with sandy soil, in habitats such as in pinelands and dunes. It is tolerant of high salt conditions, and of human disturbance.3
It is a vine-like ground cover, 1 to 3 feet in height, with small, light green, succulent leaves on long, curving, bright red branches, and pinkish white, tubular flowers succeeded by golden berries.4
References
References
- "Ernodea littoralis". NatureServe Explorer. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
- "Ernodea littoralis". Atlas of Florida Plants. Institute for Systematic Botany. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
- Negron-Ortiz, Vivian; Hickey, James (1996). "The Genus Ernodea (Rubiaceae) in the Caribbean Basin. II. Morphological Analyses and Systematics". Systematic Botany. 21 (3): 445–458. doi:10.2307/2419670. JSTOR 2419670.
- "Ernodea littoralis Fact Sheet" (PDF). University of Florida. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
Media related to Ernodea littoralis at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Ernodea littoralis at Wikispecies