Pisonia aculeata L.
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Authority
Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro. 2005. Vines and climbing plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 51: 1-483.
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Family
Nyctaginaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Description - Liana or woody, clambering shrub, attaining 20 m in length. Stems more or less cylindrical, glabrous or minutely pubescent, grayish or cream-colored lenticellate, attaining 7 cm in diameter; cross section of the stem with discrete vascular bundles within the connective tissue. Branches short or elongate; short branches opposite, divaricate, persistent, with recurved spines, produced on the trunk; elongate branches at the end of the stem, glabrescent, quadrangular, with recurved axillary spines. Leaves opposite on the elongate branches or whorled on the short lateral branches, 6-14 x 3-6 cm, chartaceous, elliptical, ovate, oblong, or suborbicular, the apex acute, obtuse, rounded, or short-acuminate, the base obtuse, unequal or rounded, the margins crenulate; upper surface glabrous, dark green, shiny, with the midvein slightly prominent; lower surface pale green, shiny, glabrous or sometimes pubescent, with the midvein prominent; petioles slender, 1-3 cm long. Inflorescences of small axillary cymes, with minute sessile flowers. Staminate flowers campanulate, 2.5-3 mm long, yellowish, pubescent outside; stamen exserted, the filaments twice as long as the perianth. Pistillate flowers ca. 2.5 mm long, almost tubular, tomentose; stigma exserted, branched. Anthocarp ellipsoid or claviform, obtusely 5-angular, 10-12 mm long, tomentose, with one or two lines of stipitate glands in each of the angles.
Phenology - Flowering from December to June and fruiting from February to August.
Conservation Status - Native, rather common.
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Common Names
escambrón, prickly-mampoo