Phyllanthus 
c. 2 mm long. Flowering and fruiting: Dec - June, 
occasionally later. Fig. 75 
Apparently endemic to the northern NT. Relatively 
common in the DR on sandy soils often associated 
with sandstone. This species is very close to 
P. carpentariae, F.Muell. ex Muell.Arg. with which 
it intergrades. In some specimens from drier parts of 
the Top End the papillae have developed into short 
hairs, leaves become smaller and the white striations 
on the seeds become obscure. 
P. leai S.Moore 
An erect annual, glabrous herb to 40 cm tall, often 
with reddish stems. Foliage phyllanthoid. Stipules c. 
0.7 mm long, subulate. Leaves on petioles <0.5 mm 
long; blades oblong, obovate or oblanceolate, 2.5-14 
mm long, 1-5 mm wide, L/B 2-3, base obtuse or 
cuneate, often unequal, apex obtuse often with a 
minute mucro. Flowers monoecious; male flowers 
few, 1 or 2 together in upper axils; female flowers 
one per axil, on pedicels 0.5-2 mm long; tepals green- 
ish or hyaline, linear, c. 0.9 mm long, recurved after 
capsules dehisce. Capsule red, faintly warted espe- 
cially when young, 1-1.5 mm long, 2-2.5 mm diam. 
Seeds pale brown, c. | mm long, the back transversely 
rugose with 8-10 ridges and the sides with a lunar 
cavity. Flowering and fruiting: Mar - June. Fig. 75 
Apparently endemic to the northern NT between 
Darwin and the Gulf of Carpentaria. Comparatively 
common in the DR on seasonal soaks and seepage 
areas on sandy soils. 
P. maderaspatensis L. 
A blue-green, glabrous annual or biennial herb or 
subshrub to 70 cm tall. Branchlets angular, foliage 
phyllanthoid and on main stems. Stipules c. 1-2 mm 
long, membranous with a red midrib, patent. Petioles 
c. 1 mm long; leaf blades oblanceolate, spathulate or 
linear-oblong, 9-35 mm long, 2-6 mm wide, L/B 4- 
11.5, base obtuse or cuneate, apex obtuse or acute 
often with a minute mucro. Flowers monoecious with 
2 male and 1 female flowers in axillary fascicles; male 
flowers on pedicels c. 1 mm long; female 
flowers on pedicels c. 2 mm long; tepals with broad 
white margins, obovate, 1.5-2 mm long. Capsule grey, 
smooth, c. 1.5 mm long, 3 mm diam. Seeds pale 
brown, c. 1.5 mm long, muricate-striate, the back with 
longitudinal rows of tubercules, the sides with 
concentric rows. Flowering and fruiting: mostly Jan 
- July, occasionally later. Fig. 75 
Found throughout the Old World tropics and 
widespread in northern Australia. Rare in the DR 
although common in more inland areas, occurring 
on heavy clay soils. 
EUPHORBIACEAE 231 
P. minutiflorus F.Muell. ex Muell.Arg. 
An erect or decumbent annual, glabrous herb to 30 
cm tall. Stems foliose throughout. Stipules c. 0.5 mm 
long, membranous. Petioles c. 0.5 mm long; leaf 
blades elliptic, obovate, oblong, linear-oblong or 
rarely orbicular, 3-12 mm long, 1.2-5 mm wide, L/B 
1.3-5, base obtuse, apex obtuse or acute occasionally 
with a minute mucro. Flowers monoecious with 1 or 
2 male flowers together with 1 female flower in 
fascicles in upper axils; female flowers on filiform 
pedicels 1-3 mm long; tepals with hyaline margins 
and a dark midrib, elliptic, c. 0.4 mm long. Capsule 
green to pale brown, smooth, 0.8-1 mm long, 1-2 mm 
diam. Seeds brown, 0.6-0.8 mm long, regularly 
muricate to colliculate. Flowering and fruiting: Mar 
- July. Fig. 75 
Found in northern Australia from the Kimberley to 
Cape York and in'New Guinea. Comparatively 
common in the DR on seasonally damp sandy soils. 
P. reticulatus Poir. 
A deciduous, scandent perennial shrub with stems 
to 15 cm diam., glabrous or densely hispidulus, 
foliage not obviously phyllanthoid. Stipules 1-2 mm 
long, triangular. Leaves on petioles 1-5 mm long; 
blades discolorous, ovate or oblong orbicular, 13-64 
mm long, 11-36 mm wide, L/B 1.1-2.3(2.6), base 
attenuate to truncate, apex acute or obtuse. Flowers 
monoecious males and females usually together in 
dense fascicles of up to 15 flowers, often racemose 
on slender leafless branchlets; males almost sessile 
or shortly pedicellate; females on pedicels to 
0.6 mm long; tepals green with a broad hyaline 
margin, orbicular, 1-1.5 mm long. Fruit fleshy, 
maturing blue-black, 4-5 mm long, 4-8 mm diam, 6 
or more locular. Seeds pale brown c. 2.5 mm long, 
finely reticulate. Flowering and fruiting: most 
months. Fig. 75 
Found throughout the Old World tropics and 
widespread in northern Australia. Common in the 
DR, occurring in monsoon forest in a variety of 
situations, or in riparian habitats. Included here is 
P. ciccoides Muell:Arg. sensu Airy Shaw (1980b) 
including var. puberulous Airy Shaw. Webster & 
Airy Shaw (1971) distinguish P. ciccoides from 
P. reticulatus in having inter alia deciduous tepals. 
The species treated here has persistent tepals and 
appears to be equivalent to the species described by 
Backer & Bakhuizen van den Brink (1963) and 
Hooker (1885) as P. reticulatus. 
P. trachygyne Benth. 
An erect, glabrous, 1-4-stemmed subshrub to 60 
