Phyllanthus exilis S.Moore

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

7. Phyllanthus exilis S.Moore — Map 6

Phyllanthus exilis S. Moore (1926) 97; J. T. Hunter & J. J. Bruhl (1997) 153. — Type : GH Wilkins 109 (holo K), Australia, Groote Eylandt .

Erect herbs or subshrubs, 30‒60 cm tall, monoecious; branches brown, distally slightly flattened and green, glabrous; internodes 2‒10 mm long. Stipules suborbicular, c. 1 by 0.3 mm, base slightly subcordate, margin entire, apex caudate. Leaves: petiole 0.5‒1 mm long, glabrous; blade narrowly elliptic, 6‒15 by 1‒2 mm, 5‒7.5 times longer than wide, glabrous, green, base obtuse, rounded or slightly subcordate, margin not thickened, flat, apex obtuse or rounded, often minutely mucronate; midrib sunken above, prominent underneath, lateral veins barely visible, flat above, slightly prominent underneath. Staminate flowers solitary to 3 together, c. 0.8 mm diam; pedicel c. 1 mm long, glabrous; sepals 6, ovate, pale green and reddish, in two whorls, outer ones c. 0.4 by 0.6 mm, apex acute, inner ones c. 0.5 by 0.5 mm, apex obtuse; disc glands 6, circular, c. 0.2 mm diam, flat, slightly dented in the middle; stamens 3, c. 0.3 mm long, filaments free, reflexed, thecae globular, c. 0.2 mm long. Pistillate flowers solitary, c. 1.8 mm diam; pedicel 2.5‒4 mm long, glabrous; sepals 6, ovate, c. 1 by 0.5 mm, pale green and reddish, apex obtuse; disc annular, c. 1 mm diam, flat; ovary sessile, subglobular, c. 1 mm diam, c. 0.5 mm high, verrucate; style absent, stigmas 3, c. 0.3 mm long, bifid for half of the length, reflexed. Fruits subglobular, c. 2 mm diam, 6-grooved, basally glabrous, apically minutely verrucate; pedicel c. 5 mm long, glabrous; columella c. 1 mm long. Seeds c. 1.5 by 1 mm, smooth, chestnut-brown.

Distribution — Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales).

Habitat & Ecology — In (low) open wood- of shrubland on (shallow) brown or red rocky, loamy, sandy, clayey or skeletal soil. Altitude: 15‒ 385 m. Flowering and fruiting: April to June.

Note — Very similar to P. virgatus , but with long, extremely narrow leaves. While the ovary of P. virgatus can be smooth or verrucate, the ovary of P. exilis is always verrucate.