2606 



PHYLLANTHUS 



PHYLLANTHUS 



the small lateral branches which then resemble pin- 

 nate Ivs., such as walnut or sumach, and even fall like 

 Ivs., leaving conspicuous scars on the main branches; 

 several species have the branches flattened into lf.- 

 like organs with fls. and rudimentary Ivs. on the mar- 

 gins: fls. axillary, apetalous, monoecious or dioecious, 

 in small clusters or singly; sepals 4-6, imbricate; disk 

 present but no rudimentary pistil in the staminate fls.; 

 stamens 2-6 (or more), usually 3; styles slender; ovary 

 3-celled, 2 ovules in each cell. About 500 species, 

 mostly in tropical regions. Related to Breynia, Glo- 

 chidion, and Securinega. Some of the species com- 

 monly cult, under the name of Phyllanthus belong more 

 properly to Breynia or Glochidion. The genus has not 

 been thoroughly studied since Mueller monographed 

 it in D.C. Prod. 15, II; 274, where it is divided into 44 

 sections, some of which, as Emblica, Cicca, Bradleia 

 and Xylophylla, have been considered separate genera. 



Most of the species here included are grown as orna- 

 mental shrubs in the greenhouse. P. acidus (P. dis- 

 tichus) is often cultivated, especially in the gardens and 

 lowlands 'of Jamaica and the West Indies for the fruit 

 which is pickled or made into preserves; it is acid and 

 astringent; the root is an active purgative and the 

 seed is also cathartic. P. Emblica is also grown in the 

 tropics for the edible fruit. P. nivosus is often used in 

 greenhouses and for bedding out in summer, and in the 

 warmer parts of Florida for permanent hedges. 



In general, phyllanthus is propagated from green- 

 wood cuttings from the larger side shoots rooted in 

 sand in the hothouse. They are usually taken in August 

 or before. Some leaves are left on the cutting and the 

 sand is kept just moist but not allowed to dry. The 

 snow-bush grows readily from root cuttings. P. acidus 

 and P. Emblica and some other species are often grown 

 from seeds; the latter is difficult to propagate vegeta- 

 tively except by layering. 



A. Branches terete or angled: Ivs. well developed. 

 B. Lvs. not distinctly distichous, often variegated. 



nivdsus, Bull (Breynia nivdsa, Small). SNOW-BUSH. 

 Shrub of loose habit, with dark, wiry, somewhat zig- 

 zag branches: Ivs. 1-2 in. long, broadly ovate-elliptical, 

 obtuse, white and green variegated, or sometimes all 

 white at the tips of the branches: fls. small, greenish, 

 hanging by long pedicels from the If.-axils. S. Sea 

 Isls. F.M. 1874:120. I.H. 25:332. G.Z. 18:145. Var. 

 rdseo-pictus, Hort. Lvs. mottled with pink and red as 

 well as green and white. Gn. 10, p. 261. F. 1878, p. 13. 

 Var. atropurpdreus, Hort. (P. purpiireus, Hort.?). Lvs. 

 dark purple. Forms of this species are commonly 

 planted in the tropics. 



Ferdinand!, Muell. Arg. Lvs. thick, oblong-ovate, 

 1-1 y<i in. wide, 2-3 in. long, bluntly acuminate: fr. 

 about J^in. thick. Austral. A good foliage shrub, 

 hardy in S. Calif. 



BB. Lvs. distichous on lateral branches, resembling 



pinnate Ivs. 

 c. Stamens 6-10, filaments united, anthers not opening 



vertically. 



grandifdlius, Linn. (P. juglandifolius, Willd. P. 

 averrhosefolius, Hort.). Foliage branches 1-2 ft. long, 

 leaving large scars on the thick main branches when 

 they fall: Ivs. thick, oblong-lanceolate, rounded or 

 cordate at base, 1 in. wide, 4-5 in. long: fr. large, 3- 

 celled. W. Indies to S. Amer. Tall and symmetrical 

 growing, foliage with a metallic luster; hardy in S. Calif. 



cc. Stamens 2-4- 



D. Sepals of staminate fls. 5-6; anthers opening verti- 

 cally; filaments connate. 



Emblica, Linn. EMBLIC. MYROBOLAN. A much- 

 branched shrub or small tree: foliage branches 3-12 in. 

 long, with 100 or more linear-elliptical, obtuse Ivs. 

 close together and about }^in. long: fls. small, short- 



pedicelled, in the axils of the lower Ivs: styles connate, 

 caps, baccate, %-l in. diam. Trop. Asia. L.B.C. 6:548. 

 Fr. used raw or preserved: foliage handsome, resem- 

 bling fir or hemlock: Ivs. and bark rich in tannin. 



longifdlius, Lam. Low shrub: Ivs. y%-\ in. long, 

 linear: fls. small, short-pedicelled, axillary; styles nearly 

 free. Mascarene Isls. Hardy in S. Calif. 



DD. Sepals of staminate fls. 4> anthers not opening 

 vertically. 



acidus, Skeels (Averrhda dcida, Linn. Cicca disticha, 

 Linn. P. distichus, Muell. Arg. P. Cicca, Muell. Arg. 

 OTAHEITE GOOSEBERRY. WEST INDIA GOOSEBERRY 

 STAR GOOSEBERRY. JIMBLING. Fig. 2932. Shrub or 

 small tree, up to 20 ft. high, main branches stout and 

 marked by scars of fallen foliage-branches: Ivs. ovate, 

 acute, 1-2 in. long: fls. usually on separate branches 

 below the foliage, sometimes in the If.-axils: fr. %in. 

 long, thick, fleshy. India and Madagascar. 



2932. 



Phyllanthus acidus 

 Otaheite gooseberry. 



pulcher, Wall. (P. pallidifdlius, Muell. Arg. Reidia 

 glaucescens, Miq.). Small shrub, foliage branches 

 straight, with 25-40 Ivs. : Ivs. J^in. long, ovate-elliptical, 

 apiculate, pale green above, glaucous beneath: fls. 

 small, red and yellow, drooping on pedicels 1 in. long. 

 Malay region. B.M. 5437. G.F. 4:161. Gn. 67, p. 83. 



AA. Branches flattened into If. -like organs, with the fls. 

 and rudimentary Ivs. along their margins. 



speci6sus, Jacq. (P. Arbiiscula, Gmel. P. latifolius, 

 Hort. Xylophylla latifolia, Sims). SEASIDE LAUREL. 

 Small shrub: floriferous branches lanceolate, striate, 

 crenate, ^-1 in. wide, 2-4 in. long: fls. whitish, striate, 

 pedicels slender. Sept. Jamaica. B.M. 1021. 



angustifdlius, Swartz (P. elongatus, Steud. Xylo- 

 phylla elongdta. X. montana, Sims). Similar to P. spe- 

 ciosus, the floriferous branches narrower, %-^in. wide, 

 3-6 in. long: fls. red. July. W. Indies. B.M. 2652. 

 L.B.C. 1091. 



P. acumindtus, Vahl, related to P. distichus. Trop. Amer. 

 P. caroliniensis, Walt., an infrequent low weed from Pa., south. 

 P. Chantrieri, Andr, related to P. pulcher. Cochin-China. R.H. 

 1883, p. 537. P. epiphylldnthus, Linn., related to P. angustifolius, 

 the flat branches curved. B.R. 373. P. falcatus, Swartz=P. epi- 

 phyllanthus. P. glaucescens, HBK., related to P. puicher. Trop. 



