Pisonia is a genus of flowering plants in the four o'clock flower family, Nyctaginaceae. It was named for Dutch physician and naturalist Willem Piso (1611–1678). Certain species in this genus are known as catchbirdtrees, birdcatcher trees or birdlime trees because they catch birds. The sticky seeds are postulated to be an adaptation of some island species that ensures the dispersal of seeds between islands by attaching them to birds, and also allows the enriching of coralline sands. (Should a fledgling fall to the ground, become entangled in the Pisonia sticky seeds, and be unable to free itself, then it will starve, and so enrich the soil within the tree's rootzone.) These island species include P. brunoniana of Australasia and Polynesia and P. umbellifera, which is widespread in the tropical Indo-Pacific region.

Species

27 species are accepted.

• Pisonia aculeata L. pullback (pantropical)

• Pisonia albida (Heimerl) Britton ex Standl. corcho bobo

• Pisonia ambigua

• Pisonia byrsonimifolia

• Pisonia calafia

• Pisonia capitata (S.Watson) Standl. Mexican devil's-claws

• Pisonia costata

• Pisonia donnellsmithii Heimerl ex Standl. (El Salvador, Guatemala)

• Pisonia ekmani Heimerl (Cuba)

• Pisonia flavescens

• Pisonia floribunda Hook. f. – pega pega (Galápagos Islands)

• Pisonia grandis R.Br. grand devil's-claws (Indo-Pacific)

• Pisonia horneae (named after Frances W. Horne, 1873–1967) (Puerto Rico, Northern Karst and the Sierra de Cayey)

• Pisonia indecora

• Pisonia jamaicensis

• Pisonia macranthocarpa

• Pisonia margaretiae

• Pisonia ochracea

• Pisonia petenensis

• Pisonia petiolaris

• Pisonia proctorii

• Pisonia roqueae (named after Ana Roqué de Duprey, 1853–1933) (Puerto Rico, Central Mountain Range and the Luquillo Mountains)

• Pisonia rotundata Griseb. smooth devil's-claws

• Pisonia silvatica

• Pisonia subcordata Sw. water mampoo

• Pisonia taina

• Pisonia zapallo Griseb.

Formerly placed here

• Ceodes brunoniana (Endl.) Skottsb. (as P. brunoniana ) Australasian catchbirdtree (Australasia and Polynesia)

• Ceodes gracilescens (as P. gracilescens ) – (Society Islands)

• Ceodes sechellarum (F.Friedmann) E.F.S.Rossetto & Caraballo (as P. sechellarum ) – (Seychelles and Mayotte)

• Ceodes taitensis (Heimerl) E.F.S.Rossetto & Caraballo (as P. taitensis and P. siphonocarpa ) – (French Polynesia)

• Ceodes umbellifera (as P. umbellifera ) umbrella catchbirdtree (Indo-Pacific)

• Ceodes wagneriana (Fosberg) E.F.S.Rossetto & Caraballo (as P. wagneriana ) Kauai catchbirdtree, pāpala kēpau (island of Kauai in Hawaii)

• Guapira discolor (Spreng.) Little (as P. discolor Spreng. and P. floridana Britt. ex Small) Rock Key devil's-claws

• Rockia sandwicensis Heimerl (as P. sandwicensis )

Gallery

References