Phyllanthus maderaspatensis L.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Along road between Nhambita turn-off and entrance gate Gorongosa National Park

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Synonyms:	Phyllanthus gueinzii Müll. Arg. Phyllanthus magudensis Jean F. Brunel Phyllanthus paxianus Dinter Phyllanthus vaccinioides Klotzsch
Common names:
Frequency:	Common
Status:	Native
Description:	Erect or decumbent annual or perennial herb, up to c. 1 m tall. Stems branched, angular, often reddish or brownish tinged. Leaves spirally arranged, up to 6 cm long on main shoots, usually much smaller on lateral branches, linear, lanceolate, oblong, oblanceolate or obovate, grey-green above, paler blue-green beneath, sometimes edged reddish; lateral veins 4-10 pairs, not prominent above, prominent beneath; petiole up to 2 mm long. Stipules 1-4 mm long asymmetrically triangular-lanceolate, cordate-auriculate on one side at the base, whitish to pinkish-cream with a brownish central line. Flowers in few-flowered clusters at almost all leaf axils; male flowers with sepals yellowish-green on pedicels up to 1 mm long; female flowers with sepals dull green, often pinkish-purple tinged, on pedicels c. 2 mm long. Fruit 2 × 3 mm, depressed rounded-3-lobed, smoth and somewhat shiny, olive-green, often reddish-tinged.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	maderaspatensis: from the Madras region of India
Habitat:	Mostly on heavy clay, sandy or alluvial soils along rivers, pans and vleis, on floodplains, short grassland and in many types of woodland, including mopane, Acacia, Brachystegia, miombo and dry deciduous woodland.
Altitude range:	Up to 1400 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Widespread in the Old World tropics and subtropics.
Mozambique distribution:	Z,T,MS,GI,M
Growth form:
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects (whose larvae eat this species):
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Saturday 9 June 2012
Literature:	Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 58. Mapaura, A & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 42. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 50. Radcliffe-Smith, A. (1996). Euphorbiaceae FZ 9(4) Pages 59 - 60.

Other sources of information about Phyllanthus maderaspatensis:

African Plant Database: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Biodiversity Explorer (Biodiversity of southern Africa): Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
ePIC (electronic Plant Information Center): Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Flora Zambesiaca web site: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) taxonomy for plants report for Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
JSTOR Plant Science: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Kew Herbarium catalogue: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Tropicos: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
West African Plants database: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis