Phyllanthus gardnerianus (Wight) 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 : 239-240

8. Phyllanthus gardnerianus (Wight) Baill. — Map 7

Phyllanthus gardnerianus (Wight) Baill. (1858) 628; Thwaites (1861) 282 (as P. gardneri ); G.L.Webster (1997) 212; Chakrab. & N.P.Balakr. (2018) 300. — Macraea gardneriana Wight (1852) 27, pl. 1902-3. — Phyllanthus simplex Retz. var. gardnerianus (Wight) Müll.Arg. (1863) 33; (1866) 392; Hook.f. (1887) 295; N.P.Balakr. & Chakrab. (2007) 381. — Phyllanthus virgatus G.Forst. var. gardnerianus (Wight) Govaerts & Radcl. -Sm. (1996) 177. — Lectotype (designated by Webster 1997): G. Gardner s.n. in GHK Thwaites C.P. 296 (K), Sri Lanka, Horton Plain.

Phyllanthus miquelianus Müll.Arg. (1863) 33; (1866) 391. — Diasperus miquelianus (Müll.Arg.) Kuntze (1891) 600. — Lectotype (designated here): RF Hohenacker 1130A (G-DC; iso L (L.2247451)), India.

Phyllanthus patens Miq. ex Müll.Arg. (1863) 34 (non Phyllanthus patens Roxb. ). — Type: RF Hohenacker 1130 (holo L ( L.2248235)), India .

Herbs or subshrubs, sometimes 5‒10 cm high, often much higher, monoecious; branches brown, glabrous, distally slightly flattened, often winged; internodes 1‒9 mm long. Stipules triangular, 1.5‒2 by 0.8‒1 mm, base cordate, margin entire or erose, apex attenuate. Leaves: petiole 0.5‒1 mm long, glabrous; blade elliptic, rarely suborbicular, 3‒37 by 2.5‒18 mm, 1.2‒3.5 times longer than wide, glabrous, green above, slightly paler green underneath, base rounded or (sub)cordate, margin not thickened, revolute, apex obtuse or rounded, often minutely mucronate; midrib flat or slightly suppressed above, prominent underneath, lateral veins 3‒6 per side, not visible above, slightly prominent underneath. Staminate flowers solitary to 12 together, 1.5‒2.8 mm diam; pedicel 2‒5 mm long, glabrous, slender; sepals 6, obovate, 1‒1.2 by 1‒1.2 mm, pink, apex rounded; disc glands 6, circular, flat, c. 0.3 mm diam; stamens 3, c. 1 mm long, filaments free, reflexed, thecae subo- void, c. 0.2 mm long. Pistillate flowers solitary, 4‒5.5 mm diam; pedicel 4‒19 mm long, glabrous; sepals 6, elliptic, 1.8‒2.4 by 1.4‒1.5 mm, red with white margins, apex obtuse; disc annular, flat, slightly crispate, 1.2‒1.6 mm diam; ovary sessile, globular, 1‒1.2 mm diam, 0.8‒1 mm high, slightly verrucate; style absent, stigmas 3, 0.8‒1.2 mm long, bifid for 4/5 of the length, reflexed. Fruits oblate, 2.5‒3.8 mm diam, c. 2 mm high, 6-grooved, with 3 grooves slightly deeper, glabrous or slightly verrucate; pedicel 4‒19 mm long, glabrous; columella c. 1.8 mm long. Seeds c. 1.8 by 1.3 mm, smooth, light brown

Distribution — South India and Sri Lanka.

Habitat & Ecology — On rocky montane grasslands and disturbed soils. Altitude: 800‒1250 m. Flowering and fruiting all year round.

Uses — Leaf juice used as eyewash or antiseptic. Fresh leaves, bruised and mixed with buttermilk, used as a cure for children’s itch. Root preparations are externally applied to abscesses ( Quattrocchi 2016).

Vernacular name — India: Kaattunelli ( Quattrocchi 2016).

Note — Very similar to P. virgatus , but with significantly larger pistillate flowers and often with wider leaves.

Figures

Map 7 Distribution of Phyllanthus gardnerianus (Wight) Baill.(●), P.macraei Müll.Arg. (▲), P. myrtifolius (Moon ex Wight) Müll.Arg. (■) and P. wheeleri G.L.Webster (✚) in S India and Sri Lanka.