Phyllanthus ¿ amarus / fraternus ?

[Dinesh Valke]

Dear friends and Vijayasankar ji,

 

Would like to take a re-look at what I strongly believe to be P. amarus, now afraid it may turn out to be P. fraternus in light of R. Vijayasankar ji's comment at http://groups.google.co.in/group/indiantreepix/browse_thread/thread/d71ee0aec1439ba4

 

 ... pl check if the number of tepals is 5 so that it can be confirmed.
P. fraternus has 6 tepals and the elliptic/obovate leaves will have a narrowed base in contrast to the former species.

 

It is a known fact that there is some confusion between P. amarus, P. fraternus, and P. niruri.

 

Please help in validating the plant in photo attached (the only one).

It was found growing (24 AUG 07) in an untended area of building premises (Vaghbil, Thane).

 

Regards.

 

[Vijayasankar Raman]

Dear Dinesh ji,

There is no confusion regarding P. niruri because it doesn't occur in India. All plants which earlier called in that name are belong to (and to be called as) P. amarus, as we all know.

And the attached picture 1225059862_a5fc85a488_o.jpg is not P. amarus. Probably P. fraternus.

-- 

With regards

R. Vijayasankar
FRLHT, Bangalore

[Dinesh Valke]

Vijayasankar ji ... but why "probably P. fraternus", if already asserted it to be "not P. amarus" ?

I believe there can be no other Phyllanthus species comimg closer to these two.

 

Regards.

[Gurcharan Singh]

Strictly speaking this plant is P. fraternus having 5 tepals and male and female flowers in separate part of the inflorescence, male in clusters of 2-3 in lower part and female singly in upper part. P. amarus has six tepals and male and female flowers occur in same axils, is also supposed to have smaller leaves. Frankly the two look very similar in habit (the leaves of P. fraternus almost as small as P. amarus towards the end of flowering season). They are distinct species if you follow GRIN taxonomy website, and P. fraternus synonym of P. amarus (priority application) if you follow Kew World checklist. Take your pick.

-- 
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ 

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[Dinesh Valke]

... this query because the same photo is put up at FOI with the belief that it is P. amarus.

At that time with the available resources, the ID seemed perfect to me ... the recent discussions on P. amarus and P.fraternus is making me re-think.

 

Unless I am not understanding, it is going a little diffficult for me to say the flower with 6 tepals point to:

P. fraternus ... Vijayasankar ji

P. amarus ... Gurcharan ji.

 

Requesting Vijayasankar ji and Gurcharan ji to re-look at this 6-tepals key.

 

The flowers in my photo have 6 tepals (no confusion here) ... attaching a cropped version of the same photo where we will be able to see 6 tepals including the hind (eclipsed) one.

 

Regards.

[Gurcharan Singh]

Dinesh ji

Sorry I got it reversed P. fraternus 6, P. amarus 5

Here is the key according to Eflora of Pakistan

Plant completely glabrous; male & female flowers occuring together in some axils; sepals of both sexes 5; female disc 5-lobed, the lobes triangular		3 Phyllanthus amarus
+	Plant glabrous, subglabrous, scaberulous or scabrid; male & female flowers usually in separate axils, sometimes together; sepals of both sexes 6		(9)
9 (8)	Leaves elliptic-oblong to elliptic-oblanceolate, up to 5 mm wide, not asperulous, dark green; female disc irregularly deeply 6-10-lobed; seeds ochreous-fulvous   2 Phyllanthus fraternus

--  Dr. Gurcharan Singh Associate Professor SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089 http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/

[Dinesh Valke]

Thanks very much Vijayasankar ji and Gurcharan ji for resolving the ID of this plant to Phyllanthus fraternus ... commonly known as: gulf leaf-flower • Bengali: bhui-amla, হাজারমণি hazarmani • Hindi: भुईंआंवला bhuinanvalah, हजारमणी hajarmani, कनोछा kanocha • Kannada: ಕಿರುನೆಲ್ಲಿ kirunelli, ನೆಲನೆಲ್ಲಿ nelanelli • Malayalam: കീഴാര്‍നെല്ലി kiizhaarnelli • Manipuri: চকপা হৈক্রূ chakpa-heikru • Marathi: भुईआवळी bhuiavali • Mizo: mithi-sunhlu • Sanskrit: भूम्यामलकी bhumyamalaki, तमालकी tamalaki • Tamil: கீழாநெல்லி kila-nelli • Telugu: నేల ఉసిరి nela usiri

[Vijayasankar Raman]

At last, Dinesh ji's doubt is cleared i hope. Thanks to Gurcharan ji for the details.