FoI
Long Stalked Leaf-Flower
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Long Stalked Leaf-Flower
aturalized Photo: Dinesh Valke
Common name: Long Stalked Leaf-Flower, Long-stalk phyllanthus, Hens and Chickens, Mascarene Island leaf-flower
Botanical name: Phyllanthus tenellus    Family: Phyllanthaceae (Amla family)
Synonyms: Phyllanthus corcovadensis

Long Stalked Leaf-Flower is an erect, many-branched annual or perennial, broad-leaved, hairless herb, growing up to 50 cm tall. Alternately spirally arranged, simple leaves are nearly stalkless with 1–1.5 mm long stalks. Leaf blade 1.4–2.5 cm long (leaves are in one plane), .7–1 cm wide, elliptic or obovate, base rounded or tapering, margins entire with some depressions and protrusions. Flower arise singly or in racemes or in cymes. Flowers are predominantly green or white, with 1.5–5 mm long stalks. Male flowers are shorter than females. Flowers have a 0.5–1.5 mm long sepal cup with 6 sepals. Petals are absent. Stamens are 5 and styles 3. Fruit is a capsule, non-fleshy, 1.2–1.4 mm long, greenish. Long Stalked Leaf-Flower is native to parts of Africa and Asia, naturalized in India.

Identification credit: Dinesh Valke
Photographed at Nirlon Knowledge Park, Mumbai.
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