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Useful Tropical Plants

Phyllanthus rotundifolius

J.G.Klein ex Willd.

Phyllanthaceae


Until about 1980, taxonomists placed a number of species, including this one, under Phyllanthus niruri L. Where the name Phyllanthus niruri has been applied in older literature to African or Asian specimens, usually Phyllanthus amarus is intended, but sometimes also Phyllanthus debilis, Phyllanthus fraternus, Phyllanthus maderaspatensis or Phyllanthus rotundifolius. Specimens of true Phyllanthus niruri have actually never been confirmed from outside the Americas[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

+ Synonyms

Diasperus rotundifolius (J.G.Klein ex Willd.) Kuntze

Phyllanthus aspericaulis Pax

Common Name:

Phyllanthus rotundifolius
Drawing of the leaves, flowers and fruit
Photograph by: Flora of Pakistan
Creative Commons License

General Information

Phyllanthus rotundifolius is an erect, annual to perennial plant, sometimes becoming a more woody-based shrublet; it can grow up to 45cm tall[
500
Title
Flora of Somalia
Publication
 
Author
Thulin M. (Editor)
Publisher
Kew Publishing, London.
Year
1993
ISBN
 
Description
Detailed information on the plants of the region, often adding notes on the plants uses.
].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

500
Title
Flora of Somalia
Publication
 
Author
Thulin M. (Editor)
Publisher
Kew Publishing, London.
Year
1993
ISBN
 
Description
Detailed information on the plants of the region, often adding notes on the plants uses.

Range

Africa - Mauritania and Senegal to Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania; Arabian Peninsula to Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka.

Habitat

Local and occasional in grassland; coastal and deciduous bushland; often in places where perennial grasses are inhibited by rocks, sand or volcanic soils; becoming a weed in cultivated areas[
328
Title
African Flowering Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
Publisher
Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
]. Found at elevations up to 1,370 metres in Somalia[
500
Title
Flora of Somalia
Publication
 
Author
Thulin M. (Editor)
Publisher
Kew Publishing, London.
Year
1993
ISBN
 
Description
Detailed information on the plants of the region, often adding notes on the plants uses.
].

Properties

Medicinal Rating *  *
HabitAnnual/Perennial
Height0.35 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details


Found in the wild on sand and sandy or alluvial soils[
328
Title
African Flowering Plants Database
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
Publisher
Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The sap from pounded leaves is applied to wounds[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Phyllanthus+rotundifolius>

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