Phyllanthus urinaria L.

Family: Phyllanthaceae

Taxonomy: Plantae > Tracheophyta > Equisetopsida > Malpighiales > Phyllanthaceae > Phyllanthus > P. urinaria

Common name [English]: Chamber bitter, gripeweed

Vernacular name [Malayalam]: ചുവന്നനെല്ലി

Nativity: Tropical & Subtropical Asia to N. Australia.

Habitat: In the plains, also in degraded deciduous forests

Description: Erect herbs to 40 cm tall; young stem and leaves reddish. Leaves: oblong, base oblique, margin ciliate, apex acute to apiculate, glabrous; stipules c. 1mm long, linear to subulate. Male flowers in axillary clusters; tepals 6, 1-seriate, orbicular; stamens 5, filaments united; disc 6-lobed. Female flowers in lower axils, solitary; tepals 6, obovate-oblong; ovary warted without; stigma 3, each 2-fid; disc annular. Capsule 2-3 mm across, globose, 3-lobed, sessile, verrucose. Seeds 6, trigonous, transversely ridged.

Flowering and Fruiting : July - October

Uses: It is used in folk medicine as a cure to treat jaundice, diabetes, malaria, and liver diseases.

Cultivation: Wild

References

http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org

https://indiabiodiversity.org