Pisonia margaretiae Proctor

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit

Unarmed shrub or small tree to 5 m tall with smooth bark; ultimate twigs and terminal bud densely and minutely puberulous Plants mostly dioecious but occasionally sequentially monoecious. Staminate inflorescence pale green, densely subglobular to hemispheric, mostly 2–2.5 cm in diameter, the individual flowers 7–9 mm long

Morphology Leaves

Leaves broadly ovate to rotund, rounded to blunt and minutely apiculate at apex, shallowly cordate at base, long-petiolate, the puberulous petioles 2.5–8 cm long, the blades 6–15 cm long, 6–13 cm broad below the middle; venation strongly prominulous beneath, the midvein densely puberulous especially beneath, the secondary and tertiary veins puberulous mainly on the lower side

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Pistillate inflorescence densely cymose, becoming diffuse at maturity; anthocarps 8–10 mm long, 3–5 mm thick, 5-ribbed, the ribs glandular throughout from apex to base.

Recognition

Differs from Pisonia acueata by lacking spines and having leaves puberulous rather than glabrous and leaves rounded to obtuse at the apex rather than acute or acuminate.

Diagnosis

Pisonia margaretiae Proctor, sp. nov. a P.acueata spinis carentibus, foliis puberulis (non glabris) ad apicem rotundatis vel obtusis (non acutis neque acuminatis) differt.

Distribution

Grand Cayman. Endemic.

Note

This little tree, originally discovered by Margaret Barwick (to whom the species is dedicated) on the estate of Arthur Hunter near Bats Cave, is chiefly known from the Spots area in the vicinity of Jasmin Lane. It has been taken into cultivation at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park.