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. YULG. 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 



