Palicourea includes about 200 species of shrubs and small trees distributed widely. Palicourea plants are typically found in the understory and subcanopy of moist to wet tropical forests, from low to high elevations. Palicourea flowers have well developed tubes and typically are brightly colored, odorless, and pollinated by hummingbirds, and the carnose, usually blue to purple-black fruits are dispersed by birds. Nearly all Palicourea species are distylous; this appears to be the ancestral condition for the genus, though it seems that some species have been lost on the Caribbean islands.
Similar plants: