Common Name:

General Information

Phyllanthus bojerianus is a slender shrub, sometimes with a climbing habit, and growing around 1.5 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a dye.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Africa - Madagascar.

Habitat

Rocky localities at elevations up to 1,600 metres[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	1.50 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

Although the chemical composition of Phyllanthus bojerianus has not been investigated, the reaction of the plant with black ferruginous mud tends to indicate that this species, like several other Phyllanthus spp., is quite rich in tannins[].

Other Uses

The leaves or shoots are used to colour fibres blackish, often with alum as a mordant[].
They are first bruised and then the mixture is boiled. When the decoction has become deep red, black mud is added, together with the fibres to be dyed. The mixture is regularly stirred and the fibres rubbed for a period of 12 hours. When the fibres have become black, they are dried[].
Another method is to boil a mixture of bruised leaves with those of Syzygium jambos. The fibres are first covered with black mud and added to the boiled mixture, in which they are left for 2 days. The fibres are then taken out, washed and dried[].

Propagation

Seed -

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