I've spent nearly 2 weeks trying to identify this tree/shrub and I've come up with close matches, but nothing definitive. The problem always seems to come from the pome/berry that it possesses.

To get the details out of the way:

I'm in the Daytona Beach area. The property has been occupied since the 60's so it's very possible that this is a planting and not a native species. The tree/shrub in question is growing at the base of an old oak tree and is about 12-15 feet tall and more upright than broad.

The pictures (such as they are. Sorry for the phone pictures):

Lower trunk with bark

Not especially clear shot of the whole thing. It's in the lower center of the picture and the top of the picture is right where the top of the tree is:

The leaves- most are like this but some show a very slight toothed margin, but barely:

{{gwi:891362}}

And the fruit that keeps throwing a wrench into things- It's round in this profile but flattened and about 2mm thick if you were to spin it a quarter turn from this view:

I'm a member of a bonsai forum and I first posted about it there with the intention of training it into a bonsai. The knowledgeable members there tried, but couldn't ID it so then I took it to two local nurseries for help. One thought that it could either be an East Palatka Holly or a Tensaw Holly- but both of those are showing round green berries this time of year. the Tensaw has leaves that are closer than the EP. Speaking of the leaves, these have no distinct smell when crushed- just a "green" scent, if that makes any sense. One employee thought it could be a Pyracantha, but once again the fruits are all wrong.

It's the flattened berry that keeps derailing the identification. They aren't especially numerous and most are at the end of branches. I cut one open and it's hard to tell since it's so immature at this point but I think I can make out a single thin flattened seed in the center and the outside is more fleshy, but not soft by any means. Basically just like the Yaupon holly berries that are all over the yard- just not the right shape. I've never noticed any blooms on the tree but I've never really looked for them. I would guess that they aren't especially showy since this specimen is in the front yard and think I would have noticed.

Some good guesses I've seen so far, but none are quite right:

Indian Hawthorn (fruit doesn't match)

Rhododendron (just not right all around)

Mountain Laurel (bark and leaves not right)

Gaultheria procumbens or American Wintergreen (no wintergreen smell when the leaves are crushed rules that out pretty easily)

Eugenia

So, the leaves are similar enough to other species to cause plenty of confusion. But it's the berry/pome/drupe that this has that keeps it rather nebulous. Maybe they will change as they mature but for now they are unlike anything else I can find.

Certainly, since this apparently not very common I'm not going to go pulling it out of the ground if it turns out the be something rare or endangered. My next stop if no one else can ID it it will be the local extension office.

Any ideas?