Phyllanthus debilis (PROSEA)
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Introduction |
Phyllanthus debilis Klein ex Willd.
- Protologue: Sp. pl. 4: 582 (1805).
Synonyms
- Phyllanthus niruri L. var. debilis (Klein ex Willd.) Muell. Arg. (1863),
- Phyllanthus niruri L. var. javanicus Muell. Arg. (1863),
- Phyllanthus niruri auct. non L.
Vernacular names
- Lagoon spurge (En)
- Indonesia: meniran (Javanese), memeniran (Sundanese)
- Vietnam: diệp hạ châu yếu.
Distribution
P. debilis is probably native to southern India and Sri Lanka; introduced into Vietnam, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia (throughout), Papua New Guinea, the Pacific Islands, and the West Indies.
Uses
The uses of P. debilis are similar to those of P. amarus, with which it may have often been confused.
Observations
- A monoecious, annual, erect, glabrous herb up to 100 cm tall with phyllanthoid branching; cataphylls narrowly lanceolate with triangular-lanceolate to triangular stipules; deciduous branchlets 4-10(-12) cm long, with 15-35 leaves.
- Leaves subsessile, narrowly elliptical to narrowly elliptical-ovate, (5-)8-20 mm × 2.5-5 mm, cuneate at base, acute at apex, stipules lanceolate, acuminate; proximal 1-4 axils of deciduous branchlets with cymules of 2-4 male flowers, distal axils with solitary female flowers, sometimes accompanied by a few male ones.
- Male flowers with 6 calyx lobes, disk with 6 segments, stamens 3, filaments completely connate, anthers free or partially connate, dehiscing horizontally; female flowers pedicellate, with 6 calyx lobes with wide scarious margin, disk entire to shallowly 6-lobed, styles free, appressed to the ovary, bifid to about the middle.
- Fruit an oblate capsule about 2-2.5 mm in diameter, smooth.
- Seeds radially and tangentially with longitudinal ribs and fine striae on the back.
P. debilis is locally an abundant weed of ruderal places, gardens, grassland and upland rice fields, preferring fertile soils, up to 2000 m altitude.
Selected sources
- [33] Airy Shaw, H.K., 1980. The Euphorbiaceae of New Guinea. Kew Bulletin Additional Series VIII. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London. 243 pp.
- [102] Bagchi, G.D., Srivastava, G.N. & Singh, S.C., 1992. Distinguishing features of medicinal herbaceous species of Phyllanthus occurring in Lucknow district (U.P.) India. International Journal of Pharmacognosy 30(3): 161-168.
- [192] Brunel, J.F. & Roux, J., 1984. South-East Asian Phyllantheae II. Some Phyllanthus of subsect. Swartziani. Nordic Journal of Botany 4(4): 469-473.
- [1135] Philcox, D., 1997. Euphorbiaceae. In: Dassanayake, M.D. & Clayton, W.D. (Editors): A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon. Vol. 11. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. pp. 80-283.
- [1386] Soerjani, M., Kostermans, A.J.G.H. & Tjitrosoepomo, G., (Editors) 1987. Weeds of rice in Indonesia. Balai Pustaka, Jakarta, Indonesia. 716 pp.
- [1555] Webster, G.L., 1956-1958. A monographic study of the West Indian species of Phyllanthus. Journal of the Arnold Arboretum 37: 91-122, 217-268, 340-359; 38: 51-80, 170-198, 295-373; 39: 49-100, 111-212.
- [1556] Webster, G.L., 1986. A revision of Phyllanthus (Euphorbiaceae) in Eastern Melanesia. Pacific Science 40: 88-105.
Main genus page
Authors
- F.L. van Holthoon