All the annual herbs in Phyllanthus are morphologically close, therefore it is not easy to identify them correctly and as a result there is a lot of confusion[].

Common Name:

General Information

Phyllanthus niruroides is a few-branched, erect, annual plant growing up to 25cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Guinea to Cameroon and Central African Republic, south to Angola and DR Congo.

Habitat

Wet grassland in deciduous woodland. It also occurs on waste ground and in disturbed localities, at elevations from 900 - 1,500 metres, occasionally to 2,300 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.20 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

As a weed it is especially frequent in sorghum on dark brown, heavy soils[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A decoction of the whole plant is given as a diuretic and purgative in the treatment of jaundice[, ]. The whole plant is used in the treatment of malaria[].
The strained juice of the pulped plant is given orally to treat infant bronchitis, and may have expectorant soothing properties in treating cough[, ]. The juice is also used in the treatment of costal pain, fever pain, oedemas and sore-throat[]. It is one of several plants that was macerated and sprinkled on smallpox pustules[].
A decoction of the whole plant, combined with capsicum pepper, it is used as a wash or as an enema to reduce menstrual pain[, ].
The plant sap is combined with lemon or citron juice and drunk or used as an enema to ease child birth[, ].
The strained juice of the pulped plant is applied as ear drops to ease the pain caused by otitis[, ].

The leaf sap is rubbed on specially for treating stomatitis, and is an ingredient of a medicine for treating hookworm[].

Niruroidine, a norsecurinine-type alkaloid, has been isolated from the leaves[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

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