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12(1): Medicinal and poisonous plants 1

Phyllanthus reticulatus Poiret

This article should be read together with the article on the genus: Phyllanthus in the Handbook volume indicated above in this database.

Lamk, Encycl. 5: 298 (1804).

Phyllanthus microcarpus (Benth.) Muell. Arg. (1863), Phyllanthus dalbergioides Wallich ex J.J. Smith (1910), Phyllanthus erythrocarpus Ridley (1923).

Indonesia: congcong belut, trembilu (Javanese), wawulutan (Sundanese). Malaysia: kayu darah belut, tampal besi.Philippines: malatinta (Tagalog), matang-buiud (Bikol), sungot-olang (Bisaya). Cambodia: prâpéénh chhmôôl. Laos: am ai², kang² pa. Thailand: kaang plaa khruea (general), mat kham (northern), am aai (eastern). Vietnam: ph[ef]n den, c[aa]y n[oox].

Phyllanthus reticulatus is widespread in the Old World tropics, from tropical Africa to Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Burma (Myanmar), Indo-China, southern China, Thailand and throughout the Malesian region towards northern Australia (Queensland); it has been introduced into the West Indies.

In Peninsular Malaysia, stems and leaves of what is probably Phyllanthus reticulatus are rubbed onto the chest to alleviate asthma, whereas a decoction of leaves is used to treat a sore throat. In the Philippines, a decoction of the leaves or bark is used for its diuretic, alterative, depurative, refrigerant and odontalgic properties, and the leaves can be applied to the abdomen as a remedy for pinworms. An infusion of the bark is a cure for dysentery and an infusion of the roots for asthma. In Indo-China, Phyllanthus reticulatus is used to treat smallpox and syphilis. In southern Africa, dried and powdered leaves are dusted over wounds to aid the healing process. Ink is prepared from the ripe fruits in the Philippines, whereas in Indonesia a decoction of stems and leaves used to be used to dye cotton black. It is also used as a mordant. In India, the root is reported to produce a red dye. The wood is sometimes used to make utensils.

A monoecious, glabrous to pubescent, bushy shrub or small tree up to 5(-18) m tall with disagreeable scent, with phyllanthoid branching, bark rough, brown or grey, cataphylls lanceolate, with triangular stipules; deciduous branchlets steeply ascending, (8.5-)10-20(-25) cm long, with (10-)13-20(-25) leaves; leaves elliptical to elliptical-ovate or elliptical-obovate, 10-50 mm x 5-27 mm, cuneate to rounded at base, apex obtuse to emarginate, shortly petiolate, stipules lanceolate; cymules usually axillary or sometimes on leafless shoots and resembling a raceme, usually bisexual and composed of 1(-2) female flowers and up to 8 male ones; flowers with 5-6 calyx lobes and 5(-6) disk segments; male flowers with 5-6 stamens, in two sets, one with longer filaments fused into a central column and one with shorter, free filaments, anthers free, dehiscing longitudinally; female flowers on a slender pedicel, styles bifid, free but connivent over the top of the ovary; fruit a berry, globose or oblate, 4-6 mm in diameter, smooth, blueish-black when ripe; seeds nearly smooth. Phyllanthus reticulatus is a variable and weedy species of secondary vegetation, mixed evergreen forest, scrub and hedges, frequently along watercourses, up to 1000 m altitude, in India up to 2000 m.

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F.L. van Holthoon

van Holthoon, F.L., 1999. Phyllanthus reticulatus Poiret. In: de Padua, L.S., Bunyapraphatsara, N. and Lemmens, R.H.M.J. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 12(1): Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. PROSEA Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. Database record: prota4u.org/prosea