Phyllanthus maderaspatensis L.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Borrowdale Common, Harare

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along entrance road to Nhambo Cottages, Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge.

Photo: Bart Wursten
Just East of Zambezi Sands River Lodge, Zambezi National Park.

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Synonyms:	Phyllanthus gueinzii Müll. Arg. Phyllanthus magudensis Jean F. Brunel Phyllanthus paxianus Dinter Phyllanthus vaccinioides Klotzsch
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Description:	Erect or decumbent annual or perennial herb, up to c. 1 m tall. Stems branched, angular, often reddish or brownish tinged. Leaves spirally arranged, up to 6 cm long on main shoots, usually much smaller on lateral branches, linear, lanceolate, oblong, oblanceolate or obovate, grey-green above, paler blue-green beneath, sometimes edged reddish; lateral veins 4-10 pairs, not prominent above, prominent beneath; petiole up to 2 mm long. Stipules 1-4 mm long asymmetrically triangular-lanceolate, cordate-auriculate on one side at the base, whitish to pinkish-cream with a brownish central line. Flowers in few-flowered clusters at almost all leaf axils; male flowers with sepals yellowish-green on pedicels up to 1 mm long; female flowers with sepals dull green, often pinkish-purple tinged, on pedicels c. 2 mm long. Fruit 2 × 3 mm, depressed rounded-3-lobed, smooth and somewhat shiny, olive-green, often reddish-tinged.
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Derivation of specific name:	maderaspatensis: from the Madras region of India.
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Worldwide distribution:	Widespread in the Old World tropics and subtropics.
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Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 29. Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 58. Heath, A. & Heath, R. (2009). Field Guide to the Plants of Northern Botswana including the Okavango Delta Kew Publishing Page 91. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 42. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 50. Radcliffe-Smith, A. (1996). Euphorbiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(4) Pages 59 - 60. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 58. Wild, H. (1955). Common Rhodesian Weeds Government of Rhodesia, Salisbury Page 48. (Includes a picture).

Other sources of information about Phyllanthus maderaspatensis:

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Flora of Botswana: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Flora of Caprivi: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Flora of Malawi: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Flora of Mozambique: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Flora of Zambia: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Flora of Zimbabwe: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
African Plant Database: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
JSTOR Plant Science: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Plants of the World Online: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Tropicos: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
Wikipedia: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis