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(Last Modified On 1/28/2013)
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(Last Modified On 1/28/2013)
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Species
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PISONIA ACULEATA L.
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PlaceOfPublication
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Sp. P1. 1026. 1753.
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Synonym
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Pisonia villosa Poir. in Lam. Dict. 5:347. 1804. Pisonia sieberi Schlecht. in Linnaea 12:876. 1822. Pisonia loranthoides HBK. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 7:197. 1825. Pisonia monotaxadenia Wright, ex Sauv. in Anal. Acad. Cien. Habana 7:199. 1870. Pisonia grandif olia Standl. in Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 1 3:3 91. 1911.
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Description
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Divaricately branched shrub or woody liana, usually armed with stout recurved axillary spines, glabrous to densely pubescent. Leaves opposite to irregularly approximate, the blade very variable in shape and size, usually obovate to obovate- elliptic, acute to acuminate, 2-10 cm. long, 1-5 cm. broad, the petiole 1-3 cm. long. Inflorescences usually borne at the tips of greatly condensed short shoots, umbelliform or densely corymbiform-thyrsiform, rather shortly pedunculate, 3-6 cm. long, greatly accrescent and expanded in fruit, many-flowered. Staminate flowers campanulate, greenish yellow, about 3 mm. long, about 2 mm. in diameter at the orifice of the limb, minutely puberulent-papillate without, the stamens widely exserted. Pistillate flowers tubular to somewhat urceolate, about 2.5 mm. long and 1 mm. in diameter, the limb erect, the stigma and style widely exserted. Anthocarps borne upon greatly elongate pedicels, pentagonal-clavate, 7-9 mm. long, 3-4 mm. broad, green, coriaceous, the stipitate glands uniseriate upon the five angles, the sides minutely and densely puberulent.
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Habit
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shrub liana
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Distribution
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Very widely distributed in tropical America, and apparently a ruderal introduction in western Africa and southeastern Asia; in rain forests and moist thickets from sea level to about 1000 m.
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Elevation
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sea level to about 1000 m.
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Specimen
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CANAL ZONE: Barro Colorado Island, Standlety 40933, Standley 4091 8. COCLE': hills north of El Valle de Anton, Allen 2835. PANAMA: Juan Diaz, Standley 30472; Rio Tapia, Standley 2825I. PROVINCE UNKNOWN: Seeman s. n. pro parte.
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Note
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This species must be very much more frequent than the records would indicate. It is popularly known as uha de gato, in allusion to the stout recurved thorns.
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