Sorry, there are no multimedia or other resources available for this species yet.

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Mountain Pisonia, Bird-catcher Tree, Para-para GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Madagascar - n.Australia - Societies - Pitcairn, Hawai‘i COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; S.Group only (rare on Rarotonga, Mangaia & Atiu only); Land, mountains (++) KEY FEATURES: Unisexual tree to 15m with erect branches. BRANCHLETS with swollen nodes associated with leaves and flowers. LEAVES opposite or in whorls of 3-8; glossy, dark green, narrow-oval to wide-oval, to 25x10cm. FLOWERS at nodes, many clustered on a stalk; small, 6-7mmØ, petals 4-5, white, spreading; fragrant; unisexual, and dioecious (on different plants); MALE stamens 6-10; FEMALE stigma with enlarged, fuzzy tip. FRUIT 3-7cm long, ripening hard, ribs smooth and sticky. Cultivar 'Variegata' leaves marbled pale green, margins creamy-white, pinkish when young. SIMILAR SPECIES: This species is variable throughout its range. The type of Pisonia umbellifera is from Vanuatu. If the species is split in the future the Cook Islands plants might warrant a different scientific name.

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present    Makatea: Present
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
+	+	+	-	-	-	-		-

Northern Group: -
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-	-	-	-	-	-

Pisonia umbellifera (J.R.Forster & G.Forster)
SYNONYMS: Ceodes umbellifera [O]; Ceodes umbellata; Pisonia excelsa; Pisonia inermis [sensu TC/GW]; Pisonia brunoniana [mistaken; is a species of NZ, Australia, Norfolk, Lord Howe, and disjunct in Hawai'i]

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); CARYOPHYLLIDAE; Caryophyllales; NYCTAGINACEAE

IDENTIFICATION: Unisexual tree to 15m with erect branches. BRANCHLETS with swollen nodes associated with leaves and flowers. LEAVES opposite or in whorls of 3-8; glossy, dark green, narrow-oval to wide-oval, to 25x10cm, base tapering, tip acute; leaf-stalk short, to 2cm. FLOWERS at nodes, many clustered on a stalk to 9cm; each small, 6-7mmØ, petals 4-5, white, spreading or recurved; fragrant; unisexual, and dioecious (on different plants); MALE stamens 6-10 protruding to 3mm, sterile-stigma (=pistillode) with slight knob; FEMALE stigma protruding to 2mm, tip enlarged and finely divided, sterile-stamens (=staminodes) sometimes protruding. FRUIT 3-7cm long, ripening hard, ribs smooth and sticky. Cultivar 'Variegata' leaves marbled pale green, margins creamy-white, pinkish when young.

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: fieldspecimens+photos, 12/2003, Avatiu Valley before carpark (male) and Takuvaine Valley on ridge south of penultimate Taro patches (female and ?male), G.McCormack with ID as Pisonia umbellifera. Rarotonga: fieldspecimen+photo, 2006/June, one tree in valley ne of Rangimotia well above the Ivirua waterintake, G.McCormack with ID as Pisonia umbellifera.

References:
p.987 Wagner et al.- Flowering Plants of Hawaii
p.878 Hortus 3rd
p.901 Royal Hort. Soc. Index of Garden Plants
p.2/266 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.292 I Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.49 Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.113 McCormack/Kunzle - Rarotonga's Mountain Tracks and Plants

Data Update History (information):
zB02, zD04a

Web Resources

• Google
• Google Images