Phyllanthus amarus

Schumacher & Thonning

in H. C. F. Schumacher, Beskr. Guin. Pl., 421. 1827.

Common names: Carry me seed dixie leafflower gale of wind
Introduced
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 12. Treatment on page 342. Mentioned on page 335, 337, 343.

Herbs, annual, monoecious, 1–5 dm; branching phyllanthoid. Stems: main stems terete, not winged, glabrous; ultimate branchlets subterete, not winged, glabrous or slightly scabridulous proximally. Leaves on main stems spiral, scalelike; stipules not auriculate, pale brown. Leaves on ultimate branchlets distichous, well developed; stipules not auriculate, pale green with pale brown margins; blade elliptic-oblong to obovate, 5–11 × 3–6 mm, base obtuse or rounded, apex obtuse to rounded, often apiculate, both surfaces glabrous. Inflorescences cymules or flowers solitary, proximal staminate with 1–2 flowers, distal bisexual with 1 pistillate flower and 1 staminate flower. Pedicels: staminate 0.6–1.3 mm, pistillate spreading in fruit, (1–)1.2–2 mm. Staminate flowers: sepals 5(–6), pale green, flat, 0.3–0.6 mm; nectary extrastaminal, 5 glands; stamens (2–)3, filaments connate throughout. Pistillate flowers: sepals (5–)6, green with broad pale green to white margins, flat, 0.8–1.1 mm, 1-veined; nectary annular, 5(–7)-lobed. Capsules 1.9–2.1 mm diam., smooth. Seeds uniformly brown, 0.9–1 mm, longitudinally ribbed. 2n = 52 (Jamaica).


Phenology: Flowering and fruiting year-round.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, gardens, other disturbed areas.
Elevation: 0–10 m.

Distribution

V12 679-distribution-map.jpg

Introduced; Fla., Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, introduced also in Asia, Africa, Indian Ocean Islands, Pacific Islands, Australia.

Discussion

Phyllanthus amarus, a pantropical weed, appears to be native to the American tropics. In the flora area, it is naturalized only in southern Florida, where it apparently was introduced sometime in the second half of the nineteenth century. It has been found in nursery stock in California (G. F. Hrusa, pers. comm.) and may become naturalized there.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Phyllanthus amarus"
Geoffrey A. Levin +
Schumacher & Thonning +
Carry me seed +, dixie leafflower +  and gale of wind +
Fla. +, Mexico +, West Indies +, Central America +, South America +, introduced also in Asia +, Africa +, Indian Ocean Islands +, Pacific Islands +  and Australia. +
0–10 m. +
Fields, roadsides, gardens, other disturbed areas. +
Flowering and fruiting year-round. +
in H. C. F. Schumacher, Beskr. Guin. Pl., +
Introduced +
Reverchonia +
Phyllanthus amarus +
Phyllanthus +
species +