Phyllanthus urceolatus Baill.

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 : 246-247

20. Phyllanthus urceolatus Baill. — Map 2

Phyllanthus urceolatus Baill. (1862a) 239 (non Noronha 1790, nom. nud.); Müll.Arg. (1866) 386;Drake (1893) 180; Guillaumin (1948) 176; M. Schmid (1991) 44; J. Florence (1997) 129. — Diasperus urceolatus (Baill.) Kuntze (1891) 601. — Phyllanthus pinaiensis S.L.Welsh (1998) 112; W.L.Wagner & Lorence (2011) 83, nom. superfl. — Lectotype (designated here): E. Vieillard 336 (P (P00066432); iso P (P00066433)), French Polynesia, Port de France.

Shrubs, 40‒150 cm high,monoecious;branches dark brown,glabrous, distally slightly flattened, not winged or ridged, sometimes green; internodes 3‒15 mm long. Stipules ovate, c. 0.5 by 0.5 mm, base cordate, margin entire or (extremely) erose, apex acute. Leaves: petiole 1‒4 mm long, glabrous; blade elliptic or ovate, 22‒85 by 10‒40 mm, 1.4‒3.6 times longer than wide, glabrous, green, base cuneate or attenuate, rarely rounded, margin not thickened, flat, apex narrow and obtuse, rarely rounded, minutely mucronate; midrib prominent on both sides, lateral veins 10‒18 per side, prominent on both sides. Staminate flowers solitary to 3 together, c. 1.5 mm diam; pedicel c. 6 mm long, glabrous; sepals 6, elliptic, 0.6‒0.8 by c. 0.6 mm, greenish, reddish, red or purple, apex obtuse; disc glands 6, circular, flat, c. 0.3 mm diam; stamens 3, c. 0.6 mm long, robust, filaments free, reflexed, thecae globular, c. 0.1 mm long. Pistillate flowers solitary, c. 3 mm diam; pedicel 10‒30 mm long, glabrous; sepals 6, elliptic, 1‒1.2 by c. 0.8 mm, greenish, apex obtuse, red or purple; disc annular, flat, c. 1 mm diam; ovary sessile, globular, c. 1 mm diam, c. 0.8 mm high, glabrous; style absent, stigmas 3, c. 0.9 mm long, bifid for 3/4 of the length, slender, reflexed. Fruits subglobular, 2.5‒4 mm diam, 6-grooved, glabrous, green or red; pedicel 10‒30 mm long, glabrous; columella c. 1.5 mm long. Seeds c. 2.5 by 1.5 mm, (light) brown, minutely verrucate, verrucae circular, randomly placed or longitudinally linear.

Distribution — French Polynesia (Tahiti, Moorea, Ra’iātea).

Habitat & Ecology — In (mesophilic) forest, on crests and slopes. Altitude: 224‒830 m. Flowering and fruiting all year round.

Vernacular name — Tahiti: E vou (M.J. Lepiné s.n.).

Note — Recognizable by its large leaves with long pedicels.

Figures

Map 2 Distribution of Phyllanthus chrysanthus Baill. var. chrysanthus (●), P. chrysanthus var. deverdensis M.Schmid (▲) and P. chrysanthus var. micrantheoides (Baill.) M.Schmid (■) on New Caledonia.