PHYLLANTHUS
Phyllanthus
L., Sp. Pl. 2: 981. 1753. Gen. Pl. ed. 5: 422. 1754; Muell. Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15(2). 274. 1866; Benth. & Hook. f., Gen. Pl. 3(1): 272.1880; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 5: 285. 1890; B. Li. & Gilbert, Fl. China 11: 180; Levin, Fl. North Amer. @ eFloras.org vol. 12; Radcliffe -Smith, Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 22; Emblica Gaertn. Fruct. Sem. Pl. 2: 122. 1790.
Herbs, shrubs or trees, annual or perennial, usually monoecious, sometimes dioecious. Branching often “phyllanthoid”: main stems with spiral phyllotaxy, ultimate branchlets resembling pinnate leaves and often deciduous as unit; less often stems all similar with spiral or distichous phyllotaxy; with or without a usually simple indumentum. Leaves alternate, often of 2 types: reduced and scale-like cataphylls on main stems, foliage leaves, strongly distichous on leafy stems; stipules of foliage leaves small, deciduous or persistent; cataphylls stipules larger than that of foliage leaves; petiole short; leaf blade simple, margin entire, venation pinnate. Inflorescence axillary, sometimes at leafless nodes, solitary or in fascicles, cymes, glomerules, racemes or panicles; pedicels delicate. Flowers small, unisexual, radially symmetric. Male Flowers: Sepals (2-3)-4-6, mostly biseriate, free, or connate basally, imbricate, subequal. Petals 0. Disc glands (3-)4-6, free, rarely annular or 0. Stamens 2-6, filaments free or connate, anthers basifixed, oblong didymous or reniform, 2-locular, thecae 2, connectives obscure, longitudinal or horizontal rarely oblique dehiscence. Pistillode absent. Female Flowers: Pedicels more robust than in male flowers. Sepals more or less as in male flowers. Disc annular, cupulate or urn-shaped, entire or lobed, rarely of separate glands, glands usually small. Ovary smooth, sometimes roughened, bullate or hairy, 3-12 locular, 2 ovules per loculus, styles 3(-12), free or connate, apex 2-lobed or 2-branched, rarely entire, erect, spreading or recurved. Fruit usually a capsule, globose or depressed globose, dehiscent into 3 2-valved cocci when mature, columella persistent, fruit less often a fleshy berry or drupe, endocarp usually crustaceous. Seeds trigonous, ecarunculate, testa crustaceous.
858 species
Phyllanthus amarus
Phyllanthus amarus
Schumach. & Thonn., Beskr. Guin. Pl. 421. 1827; Webster, J. Arn. Arb. 38: 313. 1957; Gaur, Fl. Dist. Garhwal 344. 1999; Singh & Sharma, Fl. Chamba Dist. 632. 2006; P. niruri auct. pl. non L., Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 5: 298. 1890; Phyllanthus nanus Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 5: 298. 1890.
Annual monoecious herb, 10-70 cm. Branching phyllanthoid, main stem terete, glabrous, ultimate branchlets subterete, glabrous or slightly scrabidulous proximally. Leaves 2 types: cataphylls and foliage. Cataphylls on main stems spiral, scale-like, pale brown, linear-lanceolate, 1 mm long, acute, entire, subtending intermediate shoots. Foliage leaves present on ultimate branchlets are petiolate, petiole 0.5 mm long; leaf blade distichous, 3-12 mm x 1.8-6 mm, commonly ca. 8 mm x 4 mm, oblong, elliptic-oblong or obovate, membranous, base obtuse or rounded, apex obtuse or rounded, often apiculate, lateral veins 4-7 pairs, indistinct, dark green above, paler and greyish below, both surfaces glabrous. Stipules of cataphylls lanceolate, 1-1.3 mm long, scarious; those of foliage leaves narrowly lanceolate, 0.5-1 mm long, scarious, white. Inflorescence axillary, cymules with 1-3 flowers: all male, or one male, one female and one bisexual or only single female flower, apparently ranked beneath the branchlets. Male Flowers: Pedicels 0.6-1.3 mm. Sepals 5, pale green, free or connate basally, imbricate, 0.7-0.8 mm long, ovate-orbicular, flat. Petals 0. Disc glands 5, free. Stamens 3, filaments united into a short column, anthers +/- horizontal, transversely dehiscent. Female Flowers: Pedicels 1.5-2 mm long. Sepals 5, oblong-spathulate, green with broad midrib with broad pale green to white margins, flat, 0.8-1.2 mm, 1-veined. Petals 0. Disc annular, 5(-7) lobed, lobes triangular, with or without 1-2 lateral lobules at base. Ovary sessile, subglobose, ca. 1 mm diameter, smooth; styles very short, free, adpressed or ascending, bifid, lobes recurved. Capsules ca. 2 mm diameter, crustaceous, 2-valved cocci, columella persistent. Seeds 1-1.2 mm long, 3- angled, pale brown, longitudinally ribbed.
Common Names: Carry-Me-Seed, Black Catnip, Child pick a back, Gale of Wind, Gulf Leaf Flower, Hurricane Weed, Shatter stone, Stone breaker; Bhui aanvala (Hindi)
