Pisonia is a genus of
flowering plants in the
four o'clock flower family,
Nyctaginaceae. It was named for
Dutch physician and naturalist
Willem Piso (1611–1678).[3] Certain species in this genus are known as catchbirdtrees, birdcatcher trees or birdlime trees because they catch birds.[4] The sticky seeds are postulated to be an
adaptation of some island species that ensures the
dispersal of seeds between islands by attaching them to birds, and also allows the enriching of
coralline sands. (Should a fledgling fall to the ground, become entangled in the Pisonia's sticky seeds, and be unable to free itself, then it will starve, and so enrich the soil within the tree's rootzone.[4]) These island species include P. brunoniana of
Australasia and
Polynesia and P. umbellifera, which is widespread in the tropical
Indo-Pacific region.