▁small ▁pur ple - black ▁ber ry ▁ ▁in ▁diameter ▁that ▁contains ▁ 2 ▁to ▁ 8 ▁se eds . ▁ ▁Range ▁The ▁genus ▁is ▁pre domin antly ▁native ▁to ▁the ▁trop ics ▁and ▁subt rop ics , ▁from ▁the ▁Car ib bean , ▁Central ▁America , ▁northern ▁South ▁America , ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Islands , ▁southern ▁Asia ▁and ▁northern ▁Austral asia . ▁Two ▁species , ▁X . ▁con gest um ▁and ▁X . ▁jap onic um , ▁are ▁found ▁in ▁warm - temper ate ▁eastern ▁Asia ▁( Ch ina , ▁Korea ▁and ▁Japan ). ▁M ole cular ▁ph y log en etic ▁analysis ▁suggest ▁that ▁the ▁genus ▁Las io ch lam ys ▁from ▁New ▁C aled onia ▁may ▁be ▁nested ▁in ▁X yl os ma . ▁ ▁E col ogy ▁X yl os ma ▁fol i age ▁is ▁used ▁as ▁food ▁by ▁the ▁c ater p ill ars ▁of ▁some ▁le pid optera , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁rust ic ▁( C u pha ▁er yman this ), ▁which ▁fe eds ▁on ▁X . ▁rac em osa , ▁and ▁the ▁common ▁le op ard ▁( P hal anta ▁ph al anth a ), ▁which ▁fe eds ▁on ▁X . ▁long if ol ium ▁and ▁X . ▁rac em osa . ▁ ▁Us es ▁The ▁main ▁use ▁for ▁the ▁genus ▁is ▁as ▁h edge ▁and ▁to pi ary ▁plants ▁among ▁garden ers ▁in ▁desert ▁and ▁chap ar ral ▁clim ates . ▁X yl os ma ▁con gest um ▁is ▁the ▁species ▁usually ▁seen ▁in ▁garden