Callicarpa formosana Rolfe (Formosan beauty-berry)

Family verbenaceae

Being a small evergreen shrub, the Callicarpa formosana Rolfe (Formosan beauty-berry) bears long strings of shiny purple spheres, looking like clusters of pearls hanging in the tree. Being bright, lovable, and a local Taiwanese plant species in the country, it is also called “Formosan purple pearl” (literally translated from its Chinese nickname). As an excellent nectar plant to attract birds and insects, it is often surrounded by busy bees dancing and gathering nectar. But be careful not to upset the bees when getting close to take a look. Though of verbenaceae family, it does not own quadrate stemstalks; instead, its buds form square-shaped (square, rectangle, or diamond) arrays. The corollas are shaped like tubes with colors from pink to light purple. Its stamens and pistils are protruding from the corollas, so as to make it much more convenient for insects to pollinate.

　　Source of Pictures: Self-shot Pictures