Galapagos Species Database
The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.
Pilea microphylla
banixu, berrillo,mariposa, artillery plant, lace plant, rockweed, pistol plant
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida (= Dicotyledoneae)
Order
Urticales
Family
Urticaceae
Genus
Pilea
Species
microphylla
Taxon category: Accepted
Syn.: Parietaria microphylla L., Pilea muscosa Lindl., Pilea succulenta Hook. f. fide Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew & Missouri Botanical Garden (2010)
Origin: Introduced - established
Year of first record: 1835
Mode of introduction: Accidental
Introduction Pathway: Contaminant
Subpathway: Contaminant on plants (inc. seeds and plant associated material)
Introduced status: Naturalized
Invasive status: No data
Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.
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- Andersson, N.J. (1855) Om Galápagos Öarnes Vegetation. Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps Akademien Handl., Stockholm: 61-256.
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- Monro, A.K. (2001) Synopsis of Mesoamerican Pilea (Urticaceae), including eighteen typifications and a key to the species. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. Lond. (Bot.) 31(1): 9–25.
- Porter, D.M. (1983) Vascular Plants of the Galapagos: Origins and Dispersal. In: Bowman, R.I., Berson, M. & Leviton, A.E. (eds.): Patterns of evolution in Galápagos organisms. Pacific Division, AAAS, San Francisco, California, p. 33-96.
- Quintana, M.C. (2010) Wild plants in the dry valleys around Quito-Ecuador. Publicaciones del Herbario QCA, PUCE. Quito-Ecuador, 266 pp.
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- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Missouri Botanical Garden (eds.) (2013) The Plant List, Version 1.1. Published on the Internet; http://www.theplantlist.org/ (accessed 1st January).
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- Tropicos.org. (2017) Database of Missouri Botanical Garden. Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden. 06 Oct 2017 <http://www.tropicos.org
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- Zuloaga, F.O. Morrone, O., Belgrano, M.J., Marticorena, C. & Marchesi, E. (2008) Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares del Cono Sur (Argentina, Sur de Brasil, Chile, Paraguay y Urugray). Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 107(1): i–xcvi, 1–983; 107(2): i–xx, 985–2286; 107(3): i–xxi, 2287–3348.
You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.
This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Pilea microphylla", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=813. Accessed 30 October 2026.