Phyllanthus debilis Klein ex Willd., Euphorbiaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

Chamorro: maigo-lalo

English: Niruri

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Monoecious, erect annual herbs 0.1-0.8 m tall; stems often branching with age, branching phyllanthoid, the branches 4-10 (-12) cm long, usually with 15-35 leaves.  Leaves narrowly elliptic, (6-) 8-21 mm long, 2.5-5 mm wide, petioles 0.3-1 mm long, stipules lanceolate, 0.9-1.2 mm long.  Staminate flowers 3-4 in racemose cymes arising in the first 2-4 nodes of the branches, pedicels less than 0.5 mm long, calyx 6-lobed, 0.5-0.6 mm long, nectary disk 6-lobed, stamens 3, filaments connate; pistillate flowers solitary in the nodes above staminate flowers, pedicels becoming 1.1-1.6 mm long, calyx lobes 6, (1-) 1.2-1.5 mm long, margins whitish and scarious, nectary disk shallowly 6-lobed, styles distinct, bifid.  Capsules depressed-globose, ca. 2-2.2 mm in diameter, the surface smooth, explosively dehiscent.  Seeds pale yellowish brown, angled, ca. 1-1.1 mm long, with 6-7 longitudinal ribs and fine transverse striations on back"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 627).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized in low elevation, disturbed areas such as yards and other urban sites, also in open areas such as lava fields" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 627).  In Fiji, "occurring from near sea level to about 450 m as a naturalized weed near habitations" (Smith, 1981; pp. 465-466).  "Occasional in disturbed places" (Whistler, 1988; p. 19).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Probably native to southern India and Sri Lanka" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 627).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island	introduced	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 43)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Saipan Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 143)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Tinian Island	introduced	Raulerson, L. (2006) (p. 43)
Cook Islands Cook Islands	Cook Islands		McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Chuuk Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 95)
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 143)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 143)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim (1998) (p. 20)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Fais Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 143)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Yap (Waqab) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 143)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Moala Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (pp. 465-466) Voucher cited: Milne 124
Fiji Fiji Islands	Ovalau Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (pp. 465-466) Voucher cited: Horne 360
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (pp. 465-466) Vouchers cited: Degener & Ordonez 13689, Gibbs 689, Greenwood 789, DA 7165
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 112) Voucher cited: Florence 5372
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J. (1997) (p. 123)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (pp. 386-387) Presence not confirmed.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 143)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 627)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 627)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank L. (2003) (p. 12) Voucher cited: Oppenheimer H40117 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 627)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank L. (2003) (p. 12) Voucher cited: Oppenheimer H110142 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 627)
Japan (offshore islands) Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	introduced	Kato, Hidetoshi (2007)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Koror Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 143)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Malakal Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 143)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 19)

Comments:  Similar to P. amarus.

Additional information:  Additional online information about Phyllanthus debilis is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Taxonomic information about Phyllanthus debilis may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Florence, J. 1997. Flore de la Polynésie française, Vol. 1. Paris. Editions de l'Orstom, Institut Français de Recherche Scientifique pour le Développement en Coopération, Collection Faune et Flore Tropicales 34. 393 pp.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1979. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian dicotyledonae. Micronesica 15:1-295.

Kato, Hidetoshi. 2007. Herbarium records of Makino Herbarium, Tokyo Metropolitan University. Personal communication.

Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim. 1998. Checklist of the plants of Pohnpei. Unpublished checklist. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Hawai‘i. 21 pp.

McCormack, Gerald. 2007. Cook Islands biodiversity and natural heritage. On-line database.

Oppenheimer, Hank L. 2003. New plant records from Maui and Hawai‘i Counties. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2001-2002. Part 1: Articles. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 73:3-30.

Raulerson, L. 2006. Checklist of Plants of the Mariana Islands. University of Guam Herbarium Contribution 40:1-69. .

Smith, Albert C. 1981. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 2. 810 pp.

Stone, Benjamin C. 1970. The flora of Guam. Micronesica 6:1-659.

Swarbrick, John T. 1997. Weeds of the Pacific Islands. Technical paper no. 209. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 124 pp.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).

Welsh, S. L. 1998. Flora Societensis: A summary revision of the flowering plants of the Society Islands. E.P.S. Inc., Orem, Utah. 420 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 1988. Checklist of the weed flora of western Polynesia. Technical Paper No. 194, South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 69 pp.