Phyllanthus urinaria

Phyllanthus urinaria
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Phyllanthaceae
Genus:	Phyllanthus
Species:	P. urinaria
Binomial name
	Phyllanthus urinaria; L.

Phyllanthus urinaria, commonly called chamber bitter,[1] gripeweed, shatterstone, stonebreaker or leafflower, is a herb species in the family Phyllanthaceae.

Plant description

The plant, reaching around 2 feet, has small alternate leaves resembling those of the genus Mimosa, disposed in two ranges. The leaves are large at the tip and smaller towards the petiole. The leaves are closed at night and are open in the day. Flowers are greenish white, minute and appear at axiles of the leaves, as well as the seed capsules. Numerous small green-red fruits, round and smooth, are found along the underside of the stems, which are erect and red.

Foliage

This plant is considered a competitive weed in some regions, because of its great number of seeds, its high shade tolerance and its extensive root system.

Distribution

Although of Asian origin, the weed is widely found in all tropical regions of the world. In the United States, it is found in southern states such as Virginia,[2] Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, New Mexico or Texas. It is a warm-season, annual, broadleaf weed that emerges from warm soils beginning in early summer. It reproduces by seeds, which are found in the green, warty-like fruit attached to the underside of the branch

Germination

The plant is a summer annual and germinates from early summer to early fall, requiring warm soil and light.[3]

gollark: Like my random collection of text manipulation scripts.

gollark: It's great for bodging.

gollark: True, true.

gollark: That's... basically the main reason to use one.

gollark: They're useful for when you want to embed an interpreter in things.

References

"Phyllanthus urinaria". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
"Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora | Phyllanthus urinaria L. ssp. urinaria". vaplantatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-09-26.
Wehtje, Glenn R.; Gilliam, Charles H.; Reeder, Jesse A. (1992). "Germination and Growth of Leafflower (Phyllanthus urinaria) as Affected by Cultural Conditions and Herbicides". Weed Technology. 6 (1): 139–143. doi:10.1017/S0890037X00034448. ISSN 0890-037X.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[1] "Phyllanthus urinaria". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 30 September 2015.

[2] "Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora | Phyllanthus urinaria L. ssp. urinaria". vaplantatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-09-26.

[3] Wehtje, Glenn R.; Gilliam, Charles H.; Reeder, Jesse A. (1992). "Germination and Growth of Leafflower (Phyllanthus urinaria) as Affected by Cultural Conditions and Herbicides". Weed Technology. 6 (1): 139–143. doi:10.1017/S0890037X00034448. ISSN 0890-037X.