Phyllanthus caroliniensis
Phyllanthus ericoides
Carolina leaf-flower
heather leaf-flower
terete, not winged [narrowly winged], glabrous or scabridulous.
terete, not winged, glabrous.
distichous; all well developed;
stipules auriculate, pale brown or reddish brown;
blade elliptic or oblong to obovate, 5–20(–30) × 2–10(–15) mm, base acute, apex obtuse to rounded and apiculate, both surfaces glabrous or scabridulous.
persistent, spiral, all well developed;
stipules auriculate, pink with narrow white margins;
blade narrowly oblanceolate, 1.5–3.5(–5) × 0.7–1.5 mm, base obtuse to rounded, apex pungent, both surfaces glabrous.
cymules, bisexual, with 1–3(–5) pistillate flowers and 1–2 staminate flowers.
solitary flowers, staminate proximal, pistillate distal.
staminate 0.5–1 mm, pistillate sharply reflexed in fruit, 0.5–1(–1.5) mm.
staminate 0.6–0.8 mm, pistillate spreading in fruit, 0.9–1.2 mm.
sepals (5–)6, pale yellowish green, flat, 0.5–0.7 mm;
nectary extrastaminal, 6 glands;
stamens 3, filaments distinct.
sepals 6, pale brownish green, flat, 0.9–1.2 mm;
nectary extrastaminal, 6 glands;
stamens 3, filaments connate throughout.
sepals (5–)6(–7), green, often suffused with red, with scarious margins, flat, 0.6–1.4 mm, 1-veined;
nectary cupular or annular, lobed or unlobed.
sepals 6, pale brownish green, flat, 1.1–1.4 mm, obscurely veined;
nectary annular, 6-lobed.
1.6–2 mm diam., smooth.
2 mm diam., smooth.
uniformly brown, 0.7–1.1 mm, verrucose.
uniformly brown, 0.9–1 mm, verrucose.
= 36 (subsp. guianensis, West Indies).
Phyllanthus caroliniensis
Phyllanthus ericoides
Subspecies 4 (2 in the flora).
Phyllanthus caroliniensis is the most widespread Phyllanthus in the flora area and in the Americas. In addition to the two subspecies in the flora, there are two others. Subspecies guianensis (Klotzsch) G. L. Webster, found in the West Indies, Central America, and northern South America, is similar to subsp. caroliniensis but distinguished by longer stipules (1.5–2 mm versus 0.8–12 mm) and staminate nectary glands that are longer than wide (versus as wide or wider than long). Subspecies stenopterus (Müller Arg.) G. L. Webster, of southern Central America and northern South America, is recognizable by its narrowly winged stems.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Phyllanthus ericoides is known from only a few populations in Brewster and Terrell counties, Texas, and nearby Chihuahua and Coahuila, Mexico. Although stunted plants of the related P. polygonoides may resemble P. ericoides, the latter may be distinguished by its woody habit, pungent leaves, shorter pedicels, completely connate filaments, and smaller seeds. In addition, the woody base of P. ericoides is reported to smell like coffee with chicory (M. C. Johnston and B. H. Warnock 1963).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Pistillate sepals 0.2–0.3 mm wide; leaf blade vein reticulum clearly visible abaxially; stems glabrous; cymules with 1 staminate and (1–)2–3(–5) pistillate flowers; pistillate nectary cupular, unlobed, enclosing ovary 1/3–1/2 length. | subsp. caroliniensis |
1. Pistillate sepals (0.2–)0.3–0.5(–0.7) mm wide; leaf blade vein reticulum obscure or invisible abaxially; stems usually sparsely to densely scabridulous; cymules with 1–2 staminate and 1–2 pistillate flowers; pistillate nectary annular, unlobed or 6-lobed, enclosing ovary basally. | subsp. saxicola |
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