Phyllanthus

For the bird genus of the same name, see Capuchin babbler.

Not to be confused with Philanthus.

Phyllanthus
Phyllanthus mirabilis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Phyllanthaceae
Tribe:	Phyllantheae
Genus:	Phyllanthus L.
Diversity
About 800 species
Synonyms
List Agyneia L., nom. rej. Anisonema A.Juss. Aporosella Chodat Arachnodes Gagnep. Ardinghalia Comm. ex A.Juss. Asterandra Klotzsch Bradleia Banks ex Gaertn. Cathetus Lour. Ceramanthus Hassk. Chlorolepis Nutt. Chorisandra Wight, nom. illeg. Chorizonema Jean F.Brunel Cicca L. Clambus Miers Coccoglochidion K.Schum. Conami Aubl. Cycca Batsch Dendrophyllanthus S.Moore Diasperus L. ex Kuntze, nom. illeg. Dichelactina Hance Dichrophyllum Klotzsch & Garcke Dimorphocladium Britton Emblica Gaertn. Episteira Raf. Epistylium Sw. Eriococcus Hassk. Flueggeopsis K.Schum. Frankia Steud. Geminaria Raf. Genesiphyla Raf. Genesiphylla L'Hér. Glochidionopsis Blume Glochisandra Wight Gynoon A.Juss. Hemicicca Baill. Hemiglochidion (Müll.Arg.) K.Schum., nom. illeg. Hexadena Raf. Hexaspermum Domin Kirganelia Juss. Leichhardtia F.Muell. Lobocarpus Wight & Arn. Lomanthes Raf. Macraea Wight Maschalanthus Nutt., nom. illeg. Meborea Aubl. Menarda Comm. ex A.Juss. Moeroris Raf. Nellica Raf. Niruri Adans. Niruris Raf. Nymania K.Schum. Nymphanthus Lour. Orbicularia Baill. Oxalistylis Baill. Phyllanthodendron Hemsl. Pseudoglochidion Gamble Ramsdenia Britton Reidia Wight Reverchonia A.Gray Rhopium Schreb. Roigia Britton Scepasma Blume Staurothyrax Griff. Synexemia Raf. Tetraglochidion K.Schum. Tricarium Lour. Uranthera Pax & K.Hoffm. Urinaria Medik. Williamia Baill. Xylophylla L. Zarcoa Llanos

Plagiotropic shoots of Phyllanthus pulcher

Fruit of Phyllanthus acidus

Male and female flowers of Phyllanthus acidus

Flattened stems and flowers of Phyllanthus angustifolius

Phyllanthus is the largest genus in the flowering plant family Phyllanthaceae. Estimates of the number 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. Leafflower is the common name for all Phyllanthus 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, but much more research will be needed before anyone knows how to do this. Progress continues to be made in this area. Also see Taxonomy of the Phyllanthaceae and Phyllanthaceae.

Selected species

• Phyllanthus abnormis Baill.
• Phyllanthus acidus (L.) Skeels - Otaheite gooseberry
• Phyllanthus acuminatus Vahl - Jamaican gooseberry tree
• Phyllanthus amarus Schumacher
• Phyllanthus angustifolius (Sw.) Sw.
• Phyllanthus arbuscula (Sw.) J.F.Gmel.
• Phyllanthus atropurpureus Bojer
• Phyllanthus brasiliensis (Aubl.) Poir.
• Phyllanthus caesiifolius Petra Hoffm. & Cheek
• Phyllanthus caroliniensis Walt. - native to the Americas
• Phyllanthus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng.
• Phyllanthus cuneifolius (Britt.) Croizat
• Phyllanthus debilis Klein ex Willd.
• Phyllanthus emblica L. - Indian gooseberry, also known as amla or amalaki.
• Phyllanthus engleri Pax
• Phyllanthus epiphyllanthus L.
• Phyllanthus ericoides Torr.
• Phyllanthus fluitans - red root floater, sometimes sold in aquarium shops
• Phyllanthus fraternus G.L.Webster
• Phyllanthus gentryi Webster
• Phyllanthus grandifolius L.
• Phyllanthus haughtii Croizat
• Phyllanthus hakgalensis
• Phyllanthus juglandifolius Willd.
• Phyllanthus lacunarius F.Muell.
• Phyllanthus liebmannianus Muell.-Arg.
• Phyllanthus maderaspatensis L.
• Phyllanthus microcladus Muell.-Arg.
• Phyllanthus mirabilis Müll.Arg. - the only succulent species of this genus
• Phyllanthus myrtifolius - Wight. Muell. Arg.
• Phyllanthus muellerianus (Kuntze) Exell
• Phyllanthus niruri L. - Chanca piedra (Also includes P. amarus and P. debilis)
• Phyllanthus parvifolius Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don
• Phyllanthus piscatorum Kunth
• Phyllanthus pentaphyllus C. Wright ex Griseb.
• Phyllanthus polygonoides Nutt. ex Spreng.
• Phyllanthus polyspermus Shumach. & Thonn. - often misidentified as P. reticulatus
• Phyllanthus profusus N.E.Br.
• Phyllanthus pseudocanami Müll.Arg.
• Phyllanthus pudens L.C. Wheeler
• Phyllanthus pulcher Wallich ex Muell.-Arg.
• Phyllanthus reticulatus Poir. - similar in appearance to P. polyspermus
• Phyllanthus saffordii Merr.
• Phyllanthus salviifolius Kunth
• Phyllanthus sepialis Müll.Arg.
• Phyllanthus stipulatus (Raf.) G.L. Webster
• Phyllanthus tenellus Roxb.
• Phyllanthus urinaria L. - chamberbitter
• Phyllanthus virgatus G.Forst.
• Phyllanthus watsonii A. Shaw

For full list, see List of Phyllanthus species.

Medical interest

The herb Phyllanthus emblica has gained interest as a potential treatment for human bone disorders as well as diabetes patients.

Gaining attention for its potential effects against hepatitis B, research on Phyllanthus niruri has revealed possible antiviral activity also against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Phyllanthus plants have been used in folk medicine used to treat a wide number of diseases. In Indian Ayurvedic medicine, various herbaceous Phyllanthus species are known as bhuiamla, a name previously assigned to P. niruri only. Bhuiamla is prescribed for jaundice, gonorrhea and diabetes (internal use) as well as poultices, skin ulcer and other skin problems (external use). Infusions are made from young shoots as a treatment of chronic dysentery. Not many of these supposed benefits, however, is established with modern scientific research.

The bark of Phyllanthus muellerianus, commonly called "mbolongo" in Cameroon, is used by pygmies as a remedy for tetanus and wound infections.

Phyllanthus muellerianus extracts are antimicrobial. Phyllanthus niruri may possibly help prevent stone formation/urolithiasis. Phyllanthus amarus root and leaf extract showed significant hepatitis C antiviral activity. Phyllanthus species for patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection have been assessed in clinical trials, but no consensus regarding their usefulness exists. Phyllanthus acidus (leaf) showed antiplasmodial activity against Plasmodium falciparum. Phyllanthus reticulatus leaves showed potential RNase H inhibition and protection against the viral cytopathic effects of HIV-1.

Leaves, roots, stem, bark and berries of this genus contain lignans (e.g. phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin) and a variety of other phytochemicals.

External links

• David J. Mabberley. 2008. Mabberley's Plant-Book. third edition (2008). Cambridge University Press.
• Kanchana Pruesapan, Ian R.H. Telford, Jeremy J. Bruhl, Stefano G.A. Draisma, and Peter C. Van Welzen. 2008. "Delimitation of Sauropus (Phyllanthaceae) Based on Plastid matK and Nuclear Ribosomal ITS DNA Sequence Data." Annals of Botany 102(6):1007-1018. (see External links below)
• Luo, S.X., H.-J. Esser, D. Zhang, and S. S. Renner. 2011. Nuclear ITS sequences help disentangle Phyllanthus reticulatus (Phyllanthaceae), an Asian species not occurring in Africa, but introduced to Jamaica. Systematic Botany 36(1): 99-104.
• P. niruri - Effects on Hepatitis B, Thyagarajan 1982; Mehrotra 1990; Yeh, et al. 1993; Wang 1995.[1]
• Puri, H. S. (2003) Rasayana: Ayurvedic herbs for longevity and rejuvenation. Taylor & Francis, London, pages 86–93.
• Brusotti G, Cesari I, Frassà G, Grisoli P, Dacarro C, Caccialanza G"Antimicrobial properties of stem bark extracts from Phyllanthus muellerianus (Kuntze) Excell." J Ethnopharmacol. 2011 Jun 1;135(3):797-800
• Assob JC, Kamga HL, Nsagha DS, Njunda AL, Nde PF, Asongalem EA, Njouendou AJ, Sandjon B, Penlap VB"Antimicrobial and toxicological activities of five medicinal plant species from Cameroon traditional medicine". BMC Complement Altern Med. 2011;11:70
• Boim MA, Heilberg IP, Schor N "Phyllanthus niruri as a promising alternative treatment for nephrolithiasis." Int Braz J Urol. 2010 Nov-Dec;36(6):657-64; discussion 664
• Ravikumar YS, Ray U, Nandhitha M, Perween A, Raja Naika H, Khanna N, Das S.,"Inhibition of hepatitis C virus replication by herbal extract: Phyllanthus amarus as potent natural source." Virus Res. 2011 Jun;158(1-2):89-97
• Xia Y, Luo H, Liu JP, Gluud C "Phyllanthus species for chronic hepatitis B virus infection." Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011;4:CD008960
• Bagavan A, Rahuman AA, Kamaraj C, Kaushik NK, Mohanakrishnan D, Sahal D.,"Antiplasmodial activity of botanical extracts against Plasmodium falciparum." Parasitol Res. 2011 May;108(5):1099-109
• Tai BH, Nhut ND, Nhiem NX, Quang TH, Thanh Ngan NT, Thuy Luyen BT, Huong TT, Wilson J, Beutler JA, Ban NK, Cuong NM, Kim YH "An evaluation of the RNase H inhibitory effects of Vietnamese medicinal plant extracts and natural compounds". Pharm Biol. 2011 May 20