Common Name:

General Information

Phyllanthus reticulatus varies in habit from a much-branched, deciduous shrub 0.5 - 4.5 metres tall with long, thin often drooping branches, to a tree growing 5 - 18 metres tall[, ]. It sometimes adopts a more climbing habit. The stem is around 25cm in diameter[].
A multipurpose plant, providing a range of medicinal uses and other commodities for the local people, as well as a possibly edible fruit. The fruit is occasionally sold in local markets[]. The root bark, stem bark and leaves are collected from the wild and traded in local markets[].
Phyllanthus reticulatus has a wide range in the subtropics and tropics of Africa and Asia to Australia. A hardy species that can grow in inhospitable conditions, there are no known major widespread threats. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2020)[].

Known Hazards

The fruit and root have been recorded as being used in criminal poisoning[, ]. The plant is reported to be toxic to poultry, but the part(s) of the plant is not indicated[]. Birds in Tanganyika are reported to eat the ripe fruit[].

Botanical References

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Range

Tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, through Asia to Australia.

Habitat

Often forming thickets on floodplain grassland; sand dune scrub; littoral scrub and dune forest; rain-forest; mixed deciduous woodlands and scrub; occasionally on termitaria; miombo woodlands; often beside seasonal rivers and streams[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	5.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the moist tropics, it is found at elevations from 800 - 2,000 metres[].
Succeeds in most soils and a position in full sun or partial shade[]. Sometimes grows in low, brackish marshes in the wild[].
The plant can become an invasive weed of cultivated land[].
The plant coppices well[, ].
Plants will often flower all year round[].

Edible Uses

Fruit[]. Eaten when fully ripe[]. They are traded in Sierra Leone Freetown market as sour grapes and may be occasionally eaten in E Africa, but perhaps serve only as an emergency food in times of need[]. The fruit is a black to dark purplish, globose to oblate berry 4 - 6mm wide[].

Medicinal

The plant has a long history of use in traditional medicine. Various parts of the plant has been shown to contain tannins, which are partly responsible for its medicinal and dyeing properties[].
A number of triterpenoids have been isolated from the stems and leaves, including sitosterol, friedelin and betulinic acid[].
The stem bark contains pentacosane, 21-α-hydroxyfriedelan-3-one, taraxerol and lupene-24-diol.[]
Petroleumether and ethanol extracts of the leaves have shown hypoglycaemic effects[].
An ethanolic extract of the stem bark showed in-vitro antiviral properties against polio and measles viruses, and antitumor activity[].
Extracts of the leaves have shown promising antiplasmodial activity against chloroquine-resistant and -sensitive malaria parasites[].

Sap from the stem is blown into the eyes to cure soreness[].

A soup made of the leaves, boiled with palm fruits, is given to women after child-birth[]. The powdered leaves are combined with cubebs and camphor then made into tablets that can be sucked in order to treat bleeding gums[].
The powdered leaf is used externally for topical application to sores, including venereal sores, burns, suppurations and skin-chafes[]. The mashed leaves are rubbed over the body of a malaria patient[].

The leaves and bark are reputed to be diuretic and cooling[].

The root is purgative and has a variety of uses[]. A decoction is used in the treatment of hookworm, whilst water in which the root has been boiled is taken as a male aphrodisiac, to increase fertility, to treat headache, for dysmenorrhoea, for hard abscesses[].

A decoction of the root, combined with the leaf-sap, is used as an antispastic[].

The plant is considered a remedy for anaemia and intestinal haemorrhage[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant has been used in trials to remove heavy metals from contaminated soil. Although it was effective, other species such as Pluchea indica performed significantly better[].

Other Uses

The stems are used as roof-binders in conical huts[].

The twigs are used as chew-sticks and toothbrushes[].

A red or black dye is obtained from the fruit, bark and roots[, ].
A black ink is made from the ripe fruits[].
A decoction of the stem and leaves is used as a mordant and also for dyeing cotton black[].

Tannins are obtained from the fruits, roots and bark[].

The plant has been used in trials to remove heavy metals from contaminated soil. Although it was effective, other species such as Pluchea indica performed significantly better[].

The greyish-white to reddish wood is said to be very hard and tough[, ]. It is suitable for local construction and is used to make threshing flails, utensils and other small objects[].
The wood is suitable for firewood and tinder, and makes a good quality charcoal[, ] It is fixed into a fire-drill[].

Propagation

Seed -

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