214 THE MEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE PHILIPPINES 



Phyllanthus reticulatus Mull. (Cica decandra, Blanco.) 



Nom. Vulg. — Tinatinaan, Tintatintahan, Malinta, Tag.; 

 Sugot-olag, Vis. 



Uses. — The natives eat the little berries of this species, which 

 are dark purple before and black after maturity, and use their 

 juice for ink. The leaves are diuretic and refreshing; the bark 

 alterant. In the bazaars of India the bark is sold commonly in 

 pieces 1 ° long and as thick as the wrist ; its taste is slightly 

 sweet, color dark and the alterative dose of its decoction is 

 120-150 grams a day. In Concan they make a compound pill 

 of the leaf-juice,- powdered cubebs and camphor, to be dissolved 

 in the mouth for ulcerated, bleeding or scorbutic gums. The 

 juice is also given internally for urticaria. 



Botanical Description. — Small trees, 12° or more high, 

 with leaves pinnate, oval, entire, alternate, glabrous, downy 

 when young. Common petiole, 2 stipules at the base. Flowers 

 monoecious. Staminate : calyx, 5 colored sepals ; no corolla ; 

 filaments 4, coarse, somewhat shorter than the calyx, the mid- 

 dle one thicker and 2-parted ; anthers 10, 4 on the middle fila- 

 ment and two on each of the others. Pistillate : calyx and 

 corolla same as staminate ; nectary, 5 glandules on the base of 

 the ovary. Fruit, a black berry seated within the calyx, 

 crowned with 2 erect styles, 6 or 8 compartments each with a 

 single seed. 



Habitat. — Grows everywhere and is well known. 



Phyllanthus Niruri, L. 

 P. urinaria, L. 



Nom. Vulg. — Hierba de San Pablo, de San Pedro, Sp. 



Uses. — This species is not used medicinally in the Philip- 

 pines, but in India is given for its diuretic effect and has great 

 repute in the treatment of genito-urinary diseases, dropsy and 

 gonorrhoea. The infusion of the leaves of P. Niruri with 



