Nyctaginaceae Pisonia aculeata L.

| |	© W.D. Hawthorne

Keywords in this picture :

• Foliage
• Node
• Lamina leaf blade
• Thorn
• Vegetative
• Venation
• Spines prickles etc
• Leaf parts
• Stem
• Leaf
• Plant parts

Places where this species can be found :

• Morne Gazo - GRENADA
• Levera National Park - GRENADA

Species information

Description
Climber or Medium to large low-branched tree. Leaves opposite, alternate or often v. clustered; Young parts hairy; stems with curved spines to 1 m; Blade 2-8 x 1.5-5.5cm, deciduous; Laterals prominent Fruits with 5 rows of glands.

Interest
W. Piso was a 17th Century Dutch physician. The fruits have many small hooks which can adhere to bird plumage and prevent them from flying, as in Pisonia excelsa (Malaysia), known as the bird catching tree (Dalziel, 1948)

Specimen information

Collection Date
24/11/1999

Collector
W.D. Hawthorne, C. Hughes

Specimen Number
192

Location
Mid S-facing slopes of Morne Gazzo, on the lower trail system.

Notes
Woody climber with stout paired sl. recurved thorns on trunk and younger shoots, pale greenish-brown at base, orange-brown at tip. Leaves: upper surface - midrib sl. raised; lower surface - translucent dotted. (RHS colour code: Leaf upper =141A, below=143C)

Coordinates
Latitude: 12.020000 N   Longitude: 61.430000 W   Altitude: 235