Phyllanthus is the largest genus in the plant family Phyllanthaceae. Estimates of the number of species in this genus vary widely, from 750 to 1200. Phyllanthus has a remarkable diversity of growth forms including annual and perennial herbs, shrubs, climbers, floating aquatics, and pachycaulous succulents. Some have flattened leaflike stems called cladodes. It has a wide variety of floral morphologies and chromosome numbers and has one of the widest range of pollen types of any seed plant genus.
Despite their variety, almost all Phyllanthus species express a specific type of growth called "phyllanthoid branching" in which the vertical stems bear deciduous, floriferous (flower-bearing), plagiotropic (horizontal or oblique) stems. The leaves on the main (vertical) axes are reduced to scales called "cataphylls", while leaves on the other axes develop normally. Phyllanthus is distributed in all tropical and subtropical regions on Earth.
Phyllanthus was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, but the type was not designated.
Species
The circumscription of this genus has been a cause of much confusion and disagreement. Molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that Phyllanthus is paraphyletic over Reverchonia, Glochidion, Sauropus, and Breynia. A recent revision of the family Phyllanthaceae has subsumed all four of these genera into Phyllanthus. This enlarged version of Phyllanthus might eventually be divided into smaller genera, including 32 Chinese (and northern Indochinese) species. A complete overhaul of the genus, including a new classification is currently underway, following a recent indepth molecular treatment of major groups included.
Selected species:
Phyllanthus abnormis Baill. – Drummond's leafflower
Phyllanthus acidus (L.) Skeels – Otaheite gooseberry
Phyllanthus acuminatus Vahl – Jamaican gooseberry tree
Phyllanthus amarus Schumacher
Phyllanthus anamalayanus (Gamble) G.L.Webster
Phyllanthus angustifolius (Sw.) Sw. Phyllanthus arbuscula (Sw.) J.F.Gmel. Phyllanthus axillaris (Sw.) Müll.Arg. Phyllanthus brasiliensis (Aubl.) Poir. Phyllanthus caesiifolius Petra Hoffm. & Cheek Phyllanthus caroliniensis Walt. – native to the Americas Phyllanthus cauliflorus (Sw.) Griseb. Phyllanthus cladanthus Müll.Arg. Phyllanthus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng. Phyllanthus coluteoides Baill. ex Müll.Arg. Phyllanthus cuneifolius (Britt.) Croizat Phyllanthus debilis Klein ex Willd. Phyllanthus distichus Hook. & Arn. Phyllanthus emblica L. – Indian gooseberry, also known as amla or amalaki. Phyllanthus engleri Pax Phyllanthus epiphyllanthus L. Phyllanthus ericoides Torr. Phyllanthus eximius G.L.Webster & Proctor Phyllanthus fadyenii Urb. Phyllanthus fluitans Benth. ex Müll.Arg. – red root floater, sometimes sold in aquarium shops Phyllanthus fraternus G.L.Webster Phyllanthus gentryi Webster Phyllanthus grandifolius L. Phyllanthus gunnii Hook.f. Phyllanthus hakgalensis Phyllanthus hirtellus F.Muell. ex Mull.Arg. Phyllanthus juglandifolius Willd. Phyllanthus lacunarius F.Muell. Phyllanthus latifolius (L.) Sw. Phyllanthus liebmannianus Muell.Arg. Phyllanthus maderaspatensis L. Phyllanthus microcladus Muell.Arg. Phyllanthus millei Standl. Phyllanthus mirabilis Müll.Arg. – one of the four succulent species of this genus Phyllanthus montanus (Sw.) Sw. Phyllanthus myrtifolius (Wight.) Muell.Arg. Phyllanthus muellerianus (Kuntze) Exell Phyllanthus niruri L. – Chanca piedra (Also includes P. amarus and P. debilis) Phyllanthus nyale Petra Hoffm. & Cheek Phyllanthus parvifolius Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don Phyllanthus pavonianus Baill. Phyllanthus pentaphyllus C.Wright ex Griseb. Phyllanthus phialanthoides Falcón & J.L.Gómez Phyllanthus polygonoides Nutt. ex Spreng. – Smartweed leafflower Phyllanthus polyspermus Shumach. & Thonn. – often misidentified as P. reticulatus Phyllanthus profusus N.E.Br. Phyllanthus pulcher Wallich ex Muell.Arg. Phyllanthus reticulatus Poir. – Asian sp. similar in appearance to P. polyspermus Phyllanthus revaughanii Coode Phyllanthus rufuschaneyi Welzen, R.W.Bouman & Ent Phyllanthus saffordii Merr. Phyllanthus salviifolius Kunth Phyllanthus sepialis Müll.Arg. Phyllanthus societatis Müll.Arg. Phyllanthus sponiifolius Müll.Arg. Phyllanthus stipulatus (Raf.) G.L. Webster Phyllanthus taxodiifolius Beille Phyllanthus tenellus Roxb. Phyllanthus urinaria L. – chamberbitter Phyllanthus virgatus G.Forst. Phyllanthus warnockii G.L.Webster Phyllanthus watsonii Airy Shaw Phyllanthus welwitschianus Müll.Arg.