Phyllanthus maderaspatensis L.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Borrowdale Common, Harare

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along entrance road to Nhambo Cottages, Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge.

Photo: Bart Wursten
Just East of Zambezi Sands River Lodge, Zambezi 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:
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, smooth 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.
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Widespread in the Old World tropics and subtropics.
Botswana distribution:	N,SW,SE
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Thursday 12 February 2015
Literature:	Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 29. 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. Heath, A. & Heath, R. (2009). Field Guide to the Plants of Northern Botswana including the Okavango Delta Kew Publishing Page 91. (Includes a picture). 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 Flora Zambesiaca 9(4) Pages 59 - 60. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 58. Wild, H. (1955). Common Rhodesian Weeds Government of Rhodesia, Salisbury Page 48. (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Phyllanthus maderaspatensis:

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Flora of Burundi: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Flora of Caprivi: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Flora of Malawi: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Flora of Mozambique: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Flora of Zambia: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Flora of Zimbabwe: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
African Plant Database: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
JSTOR Plant Science: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Plants of the World Online: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Tropicos: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Wikipedia: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis