Simpson's stopper or twinberry (Myrcianthes fragrans (Swartz) McVaugh) is a beautiful small native tree ranging from Florida down through the Caribbean. Like other members of the Myrtaceae, myrtle family, twinberry has spicy fragrant leaves, the volatile oils reminiscent of nutmeg. The bark is gray and peeling. The new bark is bright cinnamon-colored.
Simpson's stopper is an excellent wildlife attractor. Monarch and other butterflies feed at the flowers and use the shrub for shelter at night and during heavy rain. Mockingbirds and cardinals take the orange berries in the late summer. Fred Burton (IUCN) reports that the Grand Cayman blue iguana (Cyclura nubile lewisi) gorges on the ripe fruit.
The name Simpson's stopper apparently comes from the use of the berries to treat diarrhea and dysentery, but all evidence as to this use by indigenous people is anecdotal and has not been backed up by ethnobotanical studies.
