return to: checklist; keys; family Nyctaginaceae
Tree; shoots dimorphic, the spur shoots often with recurved spines; leaves simple, clustered towards the tips of spur shoots; fruits ellipsoid, with prominent apex, angled, with glands on the angles. (Image at right photographed at CICY, Merida.)
Additional images:
Standley (1930) reports that tea made from the leaves is used to treat joint pain, especially in syphilitic patients. Listed as an important source of pollen and/or nectar for bees (Souza Novello 1981).
Vegetatively, species of Randia (Rubiaceae) might be confused with Pisonia aculeata and vice versa. The spines of Pisonia are recurved whereas those of Randia are straight.
