Phyllanthus chrysanthus var. micrantheoides, (Baill.) M. Schmid

Verwijs, J. I. M., Bouman, R. W. & Welzen, P. C. van, 2019, A taxonomic revision of Phyllanthus subgenus Macraea (Phyllanthaceae), Blumea 64 (3), pp. 231-252 : 236

c. var. micrantheoides (Baill.) M.Schmid

Phyllanthus chrysanthus Baill. var. micrantheoides (Baill.) M. Schmid (1991) 52. — Phyllanthus micrantheoides Baill. (1862a) 238; Müll.Arg. (1866) 387. — Diasperus micrantheoides (Baill.) Kuntze (‘ micrantheodes ’) (1891) 600. — Lectotype (designated here): J.F. Pancher 365 (P (P00066093); iso P (P00066094)), New Caledonia, Sommet du Pic.

Phyllathus rufidulus Müll.Arg.(1863) 29; Guillaumin (1948) 176. — Diasperus rufidulus (Müll.Arg.) Kuntze(1891) 600. — Syntypes: E.Vieillard 1196 (G-DC, P), New Caledonia, Port de France.

Phyllanthus rufidulus Müll.Arg. var. kafeateenis Guillaumin (1962) 247. — Lectotype (designated by Schmid 1991): A. Guillaumin & M. Baumann 9657 (probably P, not seen), New Caledonia, Mont Kafeate.

Shrubs, 10‒100 cm high; branches subcylindrical, older branches glabrous, ridged, younger branches without ridges, sometimes distally slightly flattened, shortly puberulous or minutely verrucate; internodes 0.2‒1 mm long. Stipules c. 1 by 0.5 mm, margin entire. Leaves: petiole c. 0.3 mm long; blade elliptic, ovate or orbicular, 3.5‒10 by 2.5‒8 mm, 1.2‒2.5 times longer than wide, glabrous, rarely puberulous on one or both sides, upper surface light to dark green, underneath paler green, sometimes reddish on one or both sides, base rounded, apex rounded or obtuse; lateral veins 3‒5 flat and barely visible on both sides. Staminate flowers solitary to 3 together, 1.2‒2 mm diam; pedicel 1‒1.4 mm long; sepals 0.5‒0.8 by 0.2‒0.5 mm, (pale) green or yellow, often with reddish centre, apex acute; disc glands c. 0.2 mm diam; stamens c. 0.5 mm long. Pistillate flowers c. 2.5 mm diam; pedicel 1.5‒2.5 mm long; sepals 1‒1.2 by 0.6‒0.8 mm, (pale) green or yellow, often with reddish centre, apex obtuse; disc annular, slightly lobed, c. 1 mm diam, c. 0.1 mm high; ovary oblate, c. 1 mm diam, c. 0.8 mm high; stigmas 3, c. 1 mm long, bifid for 4/5 of the length. Fruits c. 2.2 mm diam, green or red; pedicel 2‒2.5 mm long; columella c. 1 mm long. Seeds c. 2 by 1 mm, verrucae circular, randomly placed or in indistinct longitudinal lines.

Distribution — New Caledonia.

Habitat & Ecology — Occurring in (open) maquis shrubland and low forests, often near rivers, on alluvium, laterite and/or serpentine soils. Altitude: 10‒1000 m.