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Pithecellobium
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<p><i>Pithecellobium</i> is a <a href="/facts/Genus/m8EFjSms">genus</a> of <a href="/facts/Flowering_plant/E5eGYIvY">flowering plants</a> in the <a href="/facts/Family_(biology)/qTrn6E8E">family</a> <a href="/facts/Fabaceae/uxuHNdAr">Fabaceae</a>. It includes approximately 23 species from the tropical Americas, ranging from Mexico to Peru and northern Brazil, including the Caribbean Islands and Florida. </p><p>The generic name is derived from the <a href="/facts/Greek_language/pzDd6eIz">Greek</a> words πίθηκος (<i>pithêkos</i>), meaning "ape" or "monkey," and ἐλλόβιον (<i>ellobion</i>), meaning "earring," which refers to the coiled shape of the <a href="/facts/Legume/x6s6gVHY">fruit pods</a>. Plants of the genus are known generally as blackbeads. </p>