Phyllanthus abnormis |
Phyllanthus fraternus |
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abnormal leaflower, Drummond's leaf-flower |
gulf leaf-flower |
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Habit | Herbs, annual, sometimes becoming woody and then appearing to be perennial, monoecious, 1–5 dm; branching phyllanthoid. | Herbs, annual, monoecious, 1–4 dm; branching phyllanthoid. | ||||
Stems | main stems persistent, terete, not winged, glabrous or scabridulous; ultimate branchlets deciduous, subterete, not winged, glabrous or scabridulous. |
main stems angled, not winged, glabrous; ultimate branchlets subterete, narrowly winged, ± scabridulous. |
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Leaves | on main stems spiral, scalelike; stipules not auriculate, pale reddish brown.; leaves on ultimate branchlets distichous, well developed; stipules not auriculate, greenish white; blade elliptic to oblong, 3–10 × 1–4 mm, base cuneate to subcordate, apex obtuse to emarginate, both surfaces glabrous or scabridulous. |
on main stems spiral, scalelike; stipules not auriculate, pale green to nearly white.; leaves on ultimate branchlets distichous, well developed; stipules not auriculate, pale green to nearly white; blade elliptic-oblong, 6–11 × 3–5 mm, base cuneate to obtuse, apex rounded, both surfaces glabrous. |
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Inflorescences | cymules, proximal staminate with 2 flowers, distal bisexual with 1 pistillate flower and 1–3 staminate flowers. |
cymules or flowers solitary, unisexual, proximal with 2–3 staminate flowers, distal with 1 pistillate flower. |
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Pedicels | staminate 0.7–1.5 mm, pistillate spreading in fruit, (1–)1.5–3(–3.5) mm. |
staminate 0.2–0.5 mm, pistillate spreading in fruit, 1.3–2 mm. |
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Staminate flowers | sepals 5–6 in basal cymules, 4 in distal cymules, pale yellowish green, sometimes suffused with red, flat, 0.5–1 mm; nectary extrastaminal, 4(–6) glands; stamens 2(–3 in basal cymules), filaments connate throughout. |
sepals 6, white to pale yellow, flat, 0.4–0.7 mm; nectary extrastaminal, 6 glands; stamens 3, filaments connate throughout. |
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Pistillate flowers | sepals 5–6, green with nearly white margins, flat, (0.5–)0.7–1.1 mm, 1-veined; nectary 3 glands (2-fid distally, thus resembling 6 glands). |
sepals 6, green with broad white margins, flat, (1–)1.2–1.5 mm, 1-veined; nectary annular, 6–9-lobed. |
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Capsules | 2.3–2.7 mm diam., smooth. |
2.1 mm diam., smooth. |
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Seeds | uniformly brown, 1.1–1.5 mm, longitudinally ribbed. |
uniformly brown, 0.9–1.1 mm, longitudinally ribbed. |
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Phyllanthus abnormis |
Phyllanthus fraternus |
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Phenology | Flowering and fruiting year-round. | |||||
Habitat | Fields, roadsides, gardens, other disturbed areas. | |||||
Elevation | 0–30 m. (0–100 ft.) | |||||
Distribution |
FL; NM; OK; TX; ne Mexico
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FL; GA; LA; MS; SC; TX; s Asia (India, Pakistan) [Introduced in North America; introduced also in West Indies, Bermuda, w Asia, Africa, Indian Ocean Islands] |
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Discussion | Varieties 2 (2 in the flora). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Phyllanthus fraternus, native to Pakistan and northwest India, apparently was introduced into the United States in the 1950s, first in Louisiana, and has spread mainly along the Gulf Coast. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 343. | FNA vol. 12, p. 342. | ||||
Parent taxa | Phyllanthaceae > Phyllanthus | Phyllanthaceae > Phyllanthus | ||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||
Synonyms | P. niruri var. scabrellus | |||||
Name authority | Baillon: Adansonia 1: 42. (1860) | G. L. Webster: Contr. Gray Herb. 176: 53. (1955) | ||||
Web links |