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(Last Modified On 3/18/2013)
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(Last Modified On 3/18/2013)
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Habit
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Bush or tree
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Distribution
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Low forests along lagoons and rivers, usually near sea-level, southern Mexico to northern South America.
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Specimen
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CANAL ZONE: banks of Chagres River, Johnston 1713 (GH), Maxon 4797 (US); forest along Rio Indio de Gatun, Pittier 2776 (US).
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Note
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The ecology and distribution of this interesting species, which is closely re- lated to the commonly cultivated P. acidus, has been discussed in an earlier publi- cation (Jour. Arnold Arb. 38: 73-75, 1957). The tree is doubtless common along the estuaries of many rivers in Panama, as well as the other Central American countries. Phyllanthus chacoensis Morong of Argentina and Paraguay is even more similar than P. acidus, but differs in having invariably 2-celled fruits and shorter, broader styles. These few American species of subg. Cicca appear to be relicts of a very ancient distribution.
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Species
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Phyllanthus elsiae Urban
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PlaceOfPublication
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Repert. Sp. Nov. 15: 405-406, 1919.
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Description
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Bush or tree, up to 15 m high, glabrous; dioecious; older twigs 5-15 mm thick sometimes with conspicuous lenticels; scale-leaves on permanent branches ? deciduous, blackish, indurate, ca 1.5 mm long. Deciduous branchlets 1-3 dm long, 1.3-1.8 mm thick, with ca 10-20 leaves, the median internodes ca 1-1.5 cm long. Leaves chartaceous; petioles 2.5-3.5 mm long; stipules lanceolate, blackish-brown, 0.8-1.2 mm long; blades mostly broadly elliptic to suborbicular, rather abruptly pointed, 3-5(-7) cm long, 2-4(-5) cm broad. Thyrsiform inflorescences naked, clustered on spur-shoots; staminate axes mostly 1.5-7 cm long, the cymules with 10-20 flowers; pistillate axes mostly 3-6 cm long, the cymules with 1-4 flowers. Staminate flowers with calyx-lobes 4, 1-1.7 mm long; disc absent; stamens usually 4, the filaments free, ca 0.25 mm, the anthers dehiscing vertically; pollen grains 3-colporate. Pistillate flowers with pedicels 1-3 mm long; calyx-lobes 4, 0.8-1.3 mm long; disc absent; ovary of 3 (rarely 2) carpels, the styles connate at base, distally bifid, 1.8-2.3 mm long. Fruits oblate-spheroidal, usually 3-celled, 5-8.5 mm high, 5.5-10.5 mm broad, obtusely lobed, indehiscent, the outer layer soft and pithy, the inner hard and bony, fertile carpels usually 1 or 2 per fruit, each with 1 seed; seeds flattened, smooth, pale brown, ca 3-4 mm long.
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