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The genus of Phyllanthus, belonging to the family Phyllanthaceae, comprises trees, bushes, and annual or biennial herbs distributed in all tropical and subtropical regions on Earth. The genus comprises more than 600 species. However, their classification has been so confusing that in the 1990s, a major reorganization of the Phyllanthus genus was carried out. Leafflower is the common name for all Phyllanthus species.
Medical interest
Phyllanthus plants have been traditionally used to cure a wide number of diseases. In Ayurvedic medicine of India, for example, Phyllanthus 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.
Recent researches have pointed out that plants of this genus basically contain lignans (e.g. phyllanthine and hypophyllanthine ), alkaloids and flavonoids (e.g. quercetin).
Phyllanthus seems to stop the development of hepatitis B because it blocks DNA polymerase - the enzyme needed for this disease's virus to reproduce. In this respect, P. urinaria and P. niruri do best.
Species
- P. abnormis -- Drummond's leaf-flower . Latin synonym: P. drummondii. Varieties include riograndensis.
- P. acidus -- Tahitian gooseberry tree , gooseberry tree and Otaheite gooseberry . Latin synonyms: Cicca disticha, Averrhoa acida and Phyllanthus distichus.
- P. acuminatissimus
- P. acuminatus -- Jamaican gooseberry tree
- P. adenophyllus
- P. aeneus. Varieties include: cordifolius, longistylis and papillosus.
- P. affinis
- P. anadenus
- P. anceps
- P. angolensis
- P. angulatus. Latin synonyms: Fluggea microcarpa.
- P. aoupiniensis
- P. apiculatus
- P. aquaticus
- P. aricularia
- P. arvensis
- P. atabapoensis
- P. augustifolius -- foliage flower
- P. avanguiensis
- P. avicularia
- P. baccatus
- P. bahamensis
- P. balansaeanus. Varieties include: glaber.
- P. baracoensis
- P. bernhardii
- P. bernierianus. Varieties include: glaber.
- P. berteroanus
- P. biantherifer
- P. biflorus
- P. biglobosus
- P. boehmii
- P. boguenensis
- P. borjaesis
- P. bourgeoisii
- P. brachycladus. Varieties include: oblongifolius.
- P. brachyphyllus
- P. brandegei
- P. breviramis
- P. brevistipulus
- P. buchii
- P. bupleuroides. Varieties include: latiaxialis.
- P. buxifolius
- P. caesiifolius
- P. caespitosus
- P. calcicola
- P. cardiophyllus
- P. caribaeus
- P. carolinensis -- Carolina leafflower . Varieties include: saxicola.
- P. carlottae
- P. carnosulus
- P. carrenoi
- P. cassioides
- P. caudatifolius
- P. caudatus. Varieties include: pubescens.
- P. caymanensis
- P. ceratostemon
- P. chacoensis
- P. chamaecerasus. Varieties include: aoupiniensis, longipedicellatus and meoriensis.
- P. chamecristoides. Varieties include: similis.
- P. chimantae
- P. choretroides
- P. choristylus
- P. ciliato-glandulosus
- P. cladotrichus
- P. claussenii. Varieties include: oblongifolius.
- P. coalcomanensis
- P. coelophyllus
- P. comosus
- P. confusus
- P. congestus
- P. conjugatus
- P. corcovadensis
- P. coxianus
- P. crassinervius
- P. cristallensis
- P. croizatii
- P. debilis -- lagoon spurge , niruri
- P. delagoensis
- P. delicatissimus
- P. diffusus -- Stipulate leafflower . Latin synonym: P. stipulatus
- P. dimorphus
- P. discoideus
- P. dracunculoides. Varieties include: amieuensis and tiwakaensis
- P. duidae
- P. dzumacensis
- P. echinospermus
- P. ekmanii
- P. emblica -- Indian gooseberry , myrobalan, emblic myrobalan , emblic . Latin synonym: Emblica officinalis
- P. engleri
- P. epiphyllanthus. Subspecies include: domingensis. Varieties include: dilatatus.
- P. ericoides
- P. erythranthus
- P. erythrotrichus
- P. estrellensis
- P. euwensii
- P. excisus
- P. faguettii. Varieties include: brevipedicellatus.
- P. fastigiatus
- P. favieri. Varieties include: kaalaensis.
- P. ferax
- P. flagelliformis. Varieties include: demonstrans.
- P. fluitans
- P. formosus
- P. fraguensis
- P. fraternus -- gulf leaf flower
- P. friesii
- P. fuertesii
- P. galeottianus
- P. gallinetae
- P. garberi
- P. gastroemii
- P. gentryi
- P. gillettianus
- P. glaucophyllus
- P. glaucoviridis
- P. glaziovii
- P. glochidioides
- P. gneissicus. Varieties include: brumoiriensis.
- P. goniocladus
- P. gongyloides - a new species discovered in Bahia.
- P. gossweileri
- P. grahamii
- P. graminicola
- P. grandifolius
- P. greenei
- P. grisebachianus
- P. hainanensis
- P. haplocladus
- P. harrimanii
- P. haughtii
- P. heliotropus
- P. heteromorpha
- P. holostylus
- P. hotteanus
- P. houailouensis
- P. huallagensis
- P. hurlimanii
- P. hutchinsonianus
- P. ibonensis
- P. ichthyomethius
- P. inaequalis
- P. inaequiflorus
- P. inaequifolius
- P. incrustatus
- P. incurvus
- P. inflatus
- P. isolepsis
- P. itatiaiensis
- P. jablonskianus
- P. jaffrei
- P. jauaensis
- P. jaubertii
- P. juglandifolius
- P. jullienii
- P. junceus
- P. kaessneri
- P. kirganelia
- P. klotzschianus. Varieties include: robustus.
- P. koniamboensis. Varieties include: taomensis.
- P. korthalsii
- P. koumacensis. Varieties include: brevitepalis.
- P. lacerilobus
- P. larensis
- P. lathyroides. Varieties include: microphyllus.
- P. laxiflorus
- P. lediformis
- P. leonardorum
- P. leptobotryosus
- P. leucanthus. Latin synonym: P. eylesii.
- P. leucocalyx
- P. leytensis
- P. liebmannianus
- P. lindbergsii
- P. loandensis
- P. longipes
- P. longistylis
- P. loranthoides. Varieties include: longifolius and ripicola.
- P. luciliae
- P. macranthus. Varieties include: macranthus.
- P. madeirensis. Formerly known as: P. acutifolius.
- P. maderaspatensis -- canoe weed
- P. maestrensis
- P. mafingensis
- P. majus
- P. maleolens
- P. mandjeliaensis
- P. mangenotii
- P. manicaensis
- P. marianus
- P. marguirei
- P. martinii
- P. matsumurae
- P. mcphersonii
- P. mcvaughii
- P. martii
- P. megalanthus
- P. melanodiscus
- P. memaoyaensis
- P. mendesii
- P. mendoncae
- P. mickelii
- P. micrandus
- P. micranthus
- P. microdendron
- P. microdictyus
- P. micromalus
- P. micromeris
- P. microphyllus. Varieties include: radicans.
- P. mimicus
- P. minarum
- P. minimus
- P. minor
- P. minutiflorus
- P. minutifolius
- P. montis-fontium
- P. montrouzieri. Varieties include: pandopensis.
- P. mouensis
- P. muellerianus
- P. myriophyllus
- P. myrtaceus
- P. myrtifolius -- mousetail plant
- P. myrtilloides. Subspecies include: alainii and erythrinus.
- P. nanus
- P. neblinae
- P. neogranatensis
- P. neopeltandrus
- P. ningaensis
- P. niruri -- gale of the wind , carry me seed , quinine weed , seed underleaf , stone-breaker . The former species P. amarus (carry-me-seed) and P. sellowianus are now officially varieties of P. niruri. Latin synonyms: Diasperus niruri, P. asperulatus, P. filiformis
- P. nivosus
- P. nobilis. Varieties include: brasiliensis and peruvianus.
- P. norlindii
- P. nothisii
- P. nummulariifolius. Varieties include capillaris and nummulariifolius.
- P. nummulariodes
- P. nyikae
- P. oaxacanus
- P. obfalcatus
- P. odontadenius
- P. omahakensis
- P. orbiculatus
- P. ovalifolius. Latin synonym: P. guineensis.
- P. pachystylus
- P. paezensis
- P. paraqueensis
- P. parvulus. Varieties include: parvulus.
- P. paucitepalus
- P. paxii
- P. pectinatus
- P. pentandrus
- P. pentaphyllus. Varieties include: pentaphyllus and polycladus ([[Five-petaled leafflower]).
- P. phlebocarpus
- P. pimichinianus
- P. piscatorum
- P. pillifer
- P. pinnatus. Latin synonym: P. kirkianus.
- P. pinosius
- P. platylepsis
- P. poeppigianus
- P. polyanthus
- P. polycladus. Varieties include: guadeloupensis.
- P. polyphyllus
- P. poueboensis
- P. poumensis. Varieties include: longistylis and longitepalus.
- P. procerus
- P. profusus
- P. prostratus
- P. pruinosus
- P. pseudocarunculatus
- P. pseudocicca
- P. pseudoconami
- P. pseudoniruri
- P. pseudonobilis
- P. pseudotrichopodus
- P. piscatorum
- P. polygonoides -- Smartweed leafflower
- P. pudens -- Birdseed leafflower
- P. pulcher -- tropical leafflower
- P. punctulatus
- P. purpusii
- P. racemigerus
- P. ramosii
- P. ramosissimum
- P. reticulatus -- potatobush , kajibajiba . Varieties include glaber and reticulatus.
- P. retinervis
- P. retroflexus
- P. riedelianus
- P. rivularis
- P. rosellus
- P. rotundifolius. Latin synonym: P. aspericaulis.
- P. rupicola
- P. scorbarius
- P. selbyi
- P. sagraeanus
- P. sequoiafolius
- P. serpentinicola
- P. shaferi
- P. sibuyanensis
- P. simplex. Latin synonym: P. virgatus.
- P. skutchii
- P. smithianus
- P. spathifolius
- P. spruceanus
- P. squamatus
- P. strobilaceus
- P. subapicalis
- P. subcarnosus
- P. subcuneatus
- P. subemarginatus
- P. sublanatus
- P. tangoensis
- P. taylorianus. Latin synonym: P. niruroides.
- P. tenellus -- Mascarene island leafflower
- P. tener
- P. tenuicaulis
- P. tenuipedicellatus. Varieties include: kaloueholaensis and tontoutaensis.
- P. tenuipes
- P. tepuicola
- P. tequilaensis
- P. thymoides
- P. tsetserrae
- P. udoricola
- P. umbratus
- P. urbanianus
- P. urdanetensis
- P. urinaria -- Chamberbitter, longstalked phyllanthus
- P. ussuriensis
- P. vacciniifolius. Subspecies include: vinillaensis.
- P. valeriae
- P. venosus
- P. ventricosus
- P. ventuarii
- P. verrucosus
- P. vespertilio
- P. virgulatus
- P. viridis
- P. welwitschianus. Varieties include beillei (also called Phyllanthus stolzianus).
- P. williamoides
- P. wittei
- P. womersleyi
- P. woodii
- P. wrightii
- P. xiphephorus
- P. yaouhensis
- P. yvettae
- P. zambicus
- P. zanthoxyloides
- P. zippelianus
- P. zornioides
