Phyllanthus samarensis Müll.Arg.

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 : 245

17. Phyllanthus samarensis Müll.Arg. — Map 5

Phyllanthus samarensis Müll.Arg. (1865) 73; (1866) 386; Fern.-Vill. (1880) 188;C.B.Rob. (1909) 79; Merr. (1923) 395; Airy Shaw (1983) 42;Y.J. Chen et al. (2009) 49. — Diasperus samarensis (Müll.Arg.) Kuntze (1891) 600. — Type: Hb. Berol. (Herb.Berlin) s.n. (B, lost), Philippines,Samar. Neotype (designated here): BS (M. Ramos) 24460 (neo L; isoneo MO, P), Philippines, Samar, Catubig River.

Shrubs, 50‒200 cm high, monoecious; large branches glabrous, with smooth bark, smaller branches tomentellous, distally flattened; internodes 2‒5 mm long. Stipules triangular,1.5‒2 by c. 1 mm, base auriculate, margin entire, apex attenuate. Leaves: petiole c. 1 mm long, mostly glabrous, distally tomentellous on the upper side, rarely entirely tomentellous; blade elliptic, 7‒24 by 4‒8 mm, 1.8‒3 times longer than wide, glabrous, upper surface green, slightly lighter green underneath, base obtuse, margin not thickened, revolute, apex retuse or obtuse, often mucronate; midrib prominent on both sides, lateral veins 8 or 9 on each side, slightly prominent on both sides. Staminate flowers 3‒7 together, 1.2‒2 mm diam; pedicel 2‒10 mm long, glabrous, slender; sepals 6, ovoid, c. 0.7 by 1 mm, green or white, apex obtuse; disc glands 6, oblate, c. 0.1 mm diam, c. 0.05 mm high; stamens 3, c. 0.3 mm long, filaments free, reflexed, thecae ovoid, c. 0.1 mm long; for pollen see Wu et al. (2016). Pistillate flowers solitary or in pairs, c. 2.5 mm diam; pedicel 8‒10 mm long, glabrous, base subtomentellous, slen- der; sepals 6, elliptic, green or white, in two whorls, outer ones c. 1 by 0.7 mm, inner ones c. 1.2 by 0.8 mm, apex obtuse; disc annular, slightly crispate, c. 1.2 mm diam, flat; ovary sessile, globular, c. 0.8 mm diam, c. 0.8 mm high, tomentose; style absent, stigmas 3, c. 1 mm long, bifid for 2/3 of the length, robust, reflexed. Fruits subglobular, 2.5‒3 mm diam, 6-grooved, bivalved, shortly tomentose; pedicel 8‒11 mm long, glabrous, base subtomentellous; columella c. 1 mm long. Seeds c. 1.2 by 1 mm, smooth or minutely verrucate along longitudinal lines, chestnut-brown, verrucae very small.

Distribution — Philippines (Samar, Cebu, Leyte).

Habitat & Ecology — Secondary and primary forests, kaigin fields. Brown clay (loam) soil, often over limestone. Altitude: 366‒650 m. Flowering and fruiting all year round.

Vernacular name — Malaantagum (Samar-Leyte Bisáya; Merrill 1923).

Note — Similar to P. myrtifolius , but with densely tomentellous distal branches, slightly wider leaves and obtuse leaf base.

Figures

Map 5 Distribution of Phyllanthus dumosus C.B.Rob. (●), P. everettii C.B.Rob. (▲) and P. samarensis Müll.Arg. (■) in the Philippines.