Phyllanthus amarus
Species of flowering plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Phyllanthus amarus is a leafy herbal plant found in tropical regions in the Americas, Africa, India, China, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia. Commons names for this plant include gale of the wind, carry me seed, seed on the leaf, pick-a-back,[1] stonebreaker, and dukung anak (Malay).[2]
| Phyllanthus amarus | |
|---|---|
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| Phyllanthus amarus from Thailand | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Phyllanthaceae |
| Genus: | Phyllanthus |
| Species: | P. amarus |
| Binomial name | |
| Phyllanthus amarus | |
Description
Phyllanthus amarus is a small, annual plant that grows to a height of 30–60 cm. Its thin branches spread out, and each branch has two rows of small, elliptic-oblong leaves of 5-10mm long that are arranged alternately.[2] Its radial flowers are star-shaped and of about 2mm in size.[3] It grows well in soil of high moisture with light shade, and reaches maturity in 2–3 months.
Constituents
Phyllanthus amarus contains flavonoids (quercetin-3-0-glucoside and rutin), tannins (geraniin, amariin and gallocatechin), and alkaloids (phyllantine, quinolizidine type, securinine, norsecurinine, isobubbialine and epibubbialine).[2]
Uses
Phyllanthus amarus has been used in the traditional medicine of various cultures, including Amazonian tribes, Ayurveda and Sinhala folk medicine.[2]
Gallery
fruit
flowers
