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Phyllanthus maderaspatensis Linn. [family EUPHORBIACEAE]
Date Updated: 30 April 2005
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol 2
Names
Phyllanthus maderaspatensis Linn. [family EUPHORBIACEAE]
Uses
Medicines: pain-killers Medicines: sedatives, etc. root seed Medicines: laxatives, etc. Medicines: cutaneous, subcutaneous parasitic infection Medicines: antidotes (venomous stings, bites, etc.) Phytochemistry: falvones Phytochemistry: insecticides, arachnicides seed Phytochemistry: fatty acids, etc. Agri-horticulture: weeds, parasites when young Agri-horticulture: fodder seed Products: dyes, stains, inks, tattoos and mordants
Description
A herb or woody undershrub to over 1 m high, of grassy savanna, and a weed of cultivated places. Recorded from limited localities in Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and N Nigeria; occurring in E Africa and widely dispersed in tropics and subtropics of the Old World.No use is recorded within the Region. In Somalia it is recognised as poisonous and if taken causes pain in the stomach (4). Cattle in Kordofan will browse it a little but only while still green (7). The whole plant is pounded and boiled for washing areas of the body affected by scabies in Tanganyika (5). Roots are boiled and the liquor is taken for constipation (6), and they are used for snake-bite treatment (1). Smoke from the burning plant is used in Kenya to kill caterpillars boring into maize cobs (3). In India the leaves in infusion are used for headache (2).The seeds are said to have laxative, carminative and diuretic properties. A clear deep yellow oil can be extracted from them, which contains myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids and a-sitosterol. The defatted seed-cake contains a fibrous mucilage which can be hydrolysed to galactose, arabinose and rhamnose and aldobionic acid. A reddish brown colouring matter, maderin, and an essential oil are reported present (2).
References
References:1. Koritschoner 1030, K. 2. Krishnamurthi, 1969: 35, with references. 3. Magogo & Glover 1057, K. 4. Peck 71, K. 5. Tanner 1431, K. 6. Tanner 3416, K. 7. Baumer, 1975: 110.
Contributor
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Date Updated: 30 April 2005
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol 2
Names
Phyllanthus maderaspatensis Linn. [family EUPHORBIACEAE]
Uses
Medicines: pain-killers Medicines: sedatives, etc. root seed Medicines: laxatives, etc. Medicines: cutaneous, subcutaneous parasitic infection Medicines: antidotes (venomous stings, bites, etc.) Phytochemistry: falvones Phytochemistry: insecticides, arachnicides seed Phytochemistry: fatty acids, etc. Agri-horticulture: weeds, parasites when young Agri-horticulture: fodder seed Products: dyes, stains, inks, tattoos and mordants
Description
A herb or woody undershrub to over 1 m high, of grassy savanna, and a weed of cultivated places. Recorded from limited localities in Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and N Nigeria; occurring in E Africa and widely dispersed in tropics and subtropics of the Old World.No use is recorded within the Region. In Somalia it is recognised as poisonous and if taken causes pain in the stomach (4). Cattle in Kordofan will browse it a little but only while still green (7). The whole plant is pounded and boiled for washing areas of the body affected by scabies in Tanganyika (5). Roots are boiled and the liquor is taken for constipation (6), and they are used for snake-bite treatment (1). Smoke from the burning plant is used in Kenya to kill caterpillars boring into maize cobs (3). In India the leaves in infusion are used for headache (2).The seeds are said to have laxative, carminative and diuretic properties. A clear deep yellow oil can be extracted from them, which contains myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids and a-sitosterol. The defatted seed-cake contains a fibrous mucilage which can be hydrolysed to galactose, arabinose and rhamnose and aldobionic acid. A reddish brown colouring matter, maderin, and an essential oil are reported present (2).
References
References:1. Koritschoner 1030, K. 2. Krishnamurthi, 1969: 35, with references. 3. Magogo & Glover 1057, K. 4. Peck 71, K. 5. Tanner 1431, K. 6. Tanner 3416, K. 7. Baumer, 1975: 110.
Contributor
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
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