230 EUPHORBIACEAE Phyllanthus 
3. Plants glabrous; leaves not elliptic or orbicular; latex absent «0.00.0... :.scesseeseeseseeseseeteeseees 4 
4. Foliage on short lateral branchlets and having the appearance of 
COMPOUNG leaves terete ertenemrecemrreirei trier riverttse.tererstrtreterertertertiemtertteretterserremetted) 5 
4. Foliage present on all stems, not having the appearance of compound leaveS.............0++ 7 
5: Leaves >4 times as long as wide; seeds muricate-Striate .......c.cccesseseesseeesestsesesesesesesesenenes P. maderaspatensis 
5. Leaves <3 times as long as wide; seeds not Muricate-Striate ........csecesesesesesesesssereeeteneees 6 
6m Seeds, with '5-7iraised longitudinal ridges Au-ciscsnsnsccssseossanteieriscscsebereraspeteasesteataese titer setassetee P. amarus 
6. Seeds: transverselyiru SoSGgerersstirris taeeetinemat te scactianecsrerriverectrtaresteritacsentreverersteettetersest ta P. leai 
7. Mature capsules 1-2 mm diam.; tepals <0.5 mm ION .......cceessseeeseseeeseessesesesesesesenenenensees P. minutiflorus 
7. Mature capsules >2 mm diam.; tepals >0.5 mm long ........sesseseeeeeeseesteteteseseeeeteneneeeeneneees 8 
8. Capsule >5 mm diam. . P. ‘Golden Sands’ 
$e Capstlet<oi mmm 'diamimrrtrcrcterttsrtrct re terstretenrtnstercorcerssrarttrctrsarsesrieettesesensrsetietretretecitratrs 9 
9S) Shrub to2imitall sleaves:5-15 mm Wide ser: isc.scrstacerssessscdoledetececsctarstecessctsentesaecesaetesasssensase2 P. grandisepalus 
9. Subshrubs mostly <0.5 m tall; leaves <6 MM Wide ......ceseeeseeesseseseeseseseesesesesesesesssestesenees 10 
103 Seeds smooth; obscurely areolate ns. sccsrsstsssssssscstsererscrssssutvecestateretessessteneerecresiotovscseracevececs P. sp. aff. virgatus 
10% +Seedsimuricate’or, colliculatev mest smenciirrticstieccirstrertierticamtrestterttiiesrtierssttenttes ut 
11. Pedicels >3 mm long; perennial on well drained Sites .........:csccsssesessesesessssesesssesseseseseeeeeenes P. trachygyne 
11. Pedicels <2.5 mm long; annual on heavy SOIIS ..........ssscecsssesssesesssesssetsesssesseeecessesssenenenenes P. maderaspatensis 
*P, amarus Schum. & Thonn. 
An annual, glabrous herb to 60 cm tall. Stipules 
setaceous, c..2 mm long. Leaves phyllanthoid, almost 
sessile on petioles to 1 mm long; blades discolorous, 
oblong, often broader towards the apex, 4-12 mm long, 
1.6-5 mm wide, L/B 2.2-2.5, base obtuse, apex 
rounded. Flowers, usually | of each sex in the outer 
leaf axils; males on pedicels c. 1.8 mm long; females 
on pedicels 1-2.5 mm long; tepals oblanceolate with 
broad white margins, c. 1 mm long. Capsule green, 
smooth, 1-1.5 mm long, 1.5-2 mm diam. Seeds pale 
brown, c. 1 mm long, with 5-7 raised longitudinal 
ridges on the outer surface and with concentric 
ridges on the sides. Flowering and fruiting: most 
months. Fig. 75 
A pantropic weed apparently native to the New 
World. A common weed in suburban Darwin and 
elsewhere. 
P. flagellaris Benth. 
A prostrate hispid (rarely glabrous) herb shooting 
each year from a perennial rootstock. Stems reddish, 
foliose throughout, to 40 cm long. Stipules c. 1 mm 
long. Leaves exude milky latex when broken; 
petioles to 0.5 mm long; blades elliptic, obovate to 
orbicular, 5-13 mm long, 4-9 mm wide, L/B 0.8-1.6, 
base obtuse or cordate, apex obtuse with a minute 
mucro. Flowers dioecious in fascicles in the outer 
axils; males with conspicuous globular glands; 
females solitary in the outer axils, on pedicels c. 5 
mm long; tepals green with a narrow white or red 
margin, unequal, oblanceolate c. 4 mm long; disk 
prominent, irregularly lobed. Capsule pale brown, 
smooth, c. 3 mm long, 6 mm diam. Seeds brown, c. 
2.5 mm long, surface smooth, minutely hairy, apical 
end shortly pointed. Flowering and fruiting: Nov - 
July. Fig. 75 
Apparently endemic to the Top End of the NT. 
Relatively common in the DR on lateritic and red earth 
soils in open forest. 
P. grandisepalus F.Muell. ex Muell.Arg. 
An erect, perennial shrub to 2 m tall, foliose 
throughout. Often glaucous with all parts 
excluding the capsule minutely white papillose, or 
smooth and glabrous. Stipules reddish, 1-1.5 mm 
long, triangular. Petioles to 1 mm long; leaf blades 
slightly discolorous, narrowly obovate, 7-25 mm 
long, 5-15 mm wide, L/B 1.4-2.8, base obtuse 
to cuneate, apex obtuse with a minute mucro. 
Flowers either solitary in the axils or with 
2 males and 1 female together; tepals green with 
a narrow white; males almost sessile; margin, 
tepals c. 1 mm long; females on pedicels 3-4 mm 
long; tepals elliptic or narrowly obovate, 3-6 mm 
long, 1.5-4 mm wide. Capsule pale brown, 
smooth, c. 3 mm long, 4-4.6 mm diam. Seeds 
pale brown with white longitudinal striations 
and faint horizontal lamellae on sides and back, 
