Similar to Phyllanthus fraternus but stems often more scabrid than in that species, foliage-leaves suborbicular-obovate, up to 1 cm wide, often asperulous on the midrib and main nerves beneath, grey-green or glaucous, ♂ & ♀ flowers occurring together in some axils, ♀ disc annular, ± entire, hexagonal or irregularly crenate, but not deeply lobed, and the seeds darker brown in colour.