on-26.8.2009<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\nthis is\u00a0Phyllanthus amarus<\/i>\u00a0(\u092d\u0941\u0908\u0906\u0935\u0933\u0940)<\/b><\/u>
\nFamily :-\u00a0Phyllanthaceae<\/i><\/p>\n
\nI think\u00a0Phyllanthus reticulatus
\n<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n
\n\u2026 <\/span>Phyllanthus amarus
\n<\/i>commonly known as: black catnip, carry me seed, child pick-a-back, gale of wind, gulf leaf flower, hurricane weed, shatterstone, stone breaker \u2022\u00a0<\/span>Bengali<\/b>: bhui amla \u2022\u00a0<\/span>Hindi<\/b>: bhui aonla, jar amla, jangli amli \u2022\u00a0<\/span>Kannada<\/b>: kirunelli, nelanelli \u2022\u00a0<\/span>Marathi<\/b>: \u092d\u0941\u0908\u0906\u0935\u0933\u0940 bhuiavali \u2022\u00a0<\/span>Sanskrit<\/b>: bahupatra, \u092d\u0942\u092e\u094d\u092f\u093e\u092e\u0932\u0915\u0940 bhumyaamalaki, jar amla, thamalaki \u2022\u00a0<\/span>Tamil<\/b>: \u0b95\u0bc0\u0bb4\u0bbe\u0ba8\u0bc6\u0bb2\u0bcd\u0bb2\u0bbf keelanelli, \u0b95\u0bc0\u0bb4\u0bcd\u0b95\u0bbe\u0baf\u0bcd\u0ba8\u0bc6\u0bb2\u0bcd\u0bb2\u0bbf kizkaynelli \u2022\u00a0<\/span>Telugu<\/b>: \u0c28\u0c47\u0c32 \u0c09\u0c38\u0c3f\u0c30\u0c3f nela usiri<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n
I thought the plant photographed by \u2026\u00a0appeared to be shrubby, and fruits larger and black<\/span>\u2013 hence my guess about\u00a0reticulatus<\/i>.<\/span><\/div>\nP. niruri<\/i>\u00a0Linn,\u00a0P. amarus<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0P. fraternus<\/i>\u00a0are three distinct species, but Indian specimens don\u2019t belong to\u00a0P. niruri<\/i>\u00a0rather\u00a0P. fraternus. P. niruri<\/i>\u00a0thus is not synonym of\u00a0P. amarus<\/i>\u00a0(not\u00a0P. niruri<\/i>\u00a0Linn or\u00a0P. niruri<\/i>\u00a0Hook.f.).<\/span><\/span><\/div>\nP. fraternus<\/i>\u00a0has larger leaves and 6 perianth, male and female fls in different axils (male in lower axils, female in our axils), and 6-10 lobed disc.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\nP. amarus<\/i> has smaller leaves (yours are larger than mine P. fraternus hence the doubt), perianth 5 and 5-lobed disc.
\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\n\u2026, the leaves in the photo attached by me are about 12 \u2013 15 mm long, and about 5 \u2013 8 mm wide \u2026 the fruits seen are about 2 \u2013 3 mm.
\n<\/span>I am believing it to be\u00a0P. amarus<\/i>,<\/span>\u00a0and also\u00a0<\/span>P. niruri<\/i> as its synonym.
\n<\/span>However, I am keen to know whether I am mistaking, especially because there is too much mix up of\u00a0<\/span>P. amarus<\/i>,\u00a0<\/span>P. niruri<\/i>, and\u00a0<\/span>P. fraternus<\/i> on the internet \u2026though whatever is discussed seemingly contradict.
\n<\/span>Any clarity for differentiating these three species will greatly help in thrashing confusion and mistakes on the internet.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n
Phyllanthus fraternus<\/i>\u00a0(with\u00a0P. niruri<\/i>\u00a0Hook.f. non Linn. as syn) and\u00a0P. amarus<\/i>\u00a0are both described in Eflora of Pakistan. Latter is described in Eflora of China, who mention that it was formerly misidentified as\u00a0P. niruri<\/i>.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\nPresence of 5 perianth<\/span>\u00a0(as against 6 in\u00a0P. fraternus<\/i>),<\/span>\u00a0each leaf axil (most middle) with one male and one female flower<\/span>\u00a0(female flowers single in leaf axils in\u00a0P. fraternus<\/i>),<\/span>\u00a0disc 5 lobed<\/span>\u00a0(as against 6-10 lobed)<\/span>\u00a0are quite characteristic of\u00a0P. amarus<\/i>.<\/span>\u00a0Leaves are described as 3-8 x 2-4.5 mm in Eflora of Pakistan, 3-6 x 1.5-3 mm in Flora of China<\/span>. Your plant with larger leaves could be different species.<\/span><\/div>\nP. fraternus<\/i>\u00a0grows around my house and I have observed it constantly.<\/span><\/div>\nLet us explore further
\n<\/span><\/p>\n
\nthank you very much for pointing info of the species.
\n<\/span>So is it correct that \u2026 plant is\u00a0<\/span>P. fraternus<\/i> ?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n
I think your plant is still unidentified. It has two clear features of\u00a0P. amarus<\/i>: male and female fls in same axils (most middle ones), and the leaves are much larger and broader, and one more things which I notice, your plant seems to be distinctly pubescent, and of diiferent colour (than my plant of\u00a0P. fraternus<\/i>, or plant of \u2026). I think we will explore further before confirmation. It could be\u00a0P. rotundifolius<\/i>\u00a0(if cataphylls are present- note small appendages in my photograph showing upper view of\u00a0P. fraternus<\/i>) or else\u00a0Maderaspatensis<\/i>\u00a0(if cataphylls are absent). To me \u2026 plant fits better with\u00a0P. maderaspatensis<\/i>, but I am not certain at present.\u00a0<\/span>Before we resolve let us look at the following things, if you can find fresh plants. (There is, however, one caution. The plants flowering these days (at least in\u00a0P. fraternus<\/i>) have smaller leaves than ones I photographed in May-June):<\/span><\/div>\n1. whether plant is herbaceous or woody<\/span><\/div>\n2. presence or absence of pubescence<\/span><\/div>\n3. colour of leaves (yours are light green, mine and Dinesh ji\u2019s dark green)<\/span><\/div>\n4. Chape of leaves (that can be judged from photgraph)<\/span><\/div>\n5. Size of leaves<\/span><\/div>\n6. Whether middle portion has only female flowers, or mixed male and female<\/span><\/div>\n7. Number of perianth (some call them sepals), 6 in two whorls or 5 in one whorl<\/span><\/div>\n8. Tip of perianth pointed or rounded<\/span><\/div>\n9. Size of perianth<\/span><\/div>\n10. Size, shape and colour of fruits<\/span><\/div>\n11. Number of lobes of disc<\/span><\/div>\n12. Length of pedicel of female flower and fruit<\/span><\/div>\nFor me even \u2026 plant may turn out to be different. It has much more rigid leaves, even the branches appear rigid, leaves dark green. We may have to look at cataphylls to decide finally.<\/span><\/div>\n