Phyllanthus emblica L., Phyllanthaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: yu gan zi

English: emblic, emblic myrobalan, Indian gooseberry, Indian-gooseberry

French: groseillier de Ceylan, myrobalan emblic

Spanish: mirobalano, nelí

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Tree greater than 8 m tall; main axis with cataphylls; deciduous branchlets pinnatiform, more than 25 cm long. Leaves to 100 per branch; petioles 0.3-0.7 mm long; blades linear-oblong, 12-20 x 2-5 mm, base rounded, apex obtuse to acute, margin thickened, chartaceous. Cymules unisexual or bisexual, aggregated in naked, cauliflorous thyrses; staminate flowers with pedicels 1-2.5 mm long, stamens 3, united in column; pistillate flowers subsessile. Capsules ovoid, 2.5-3 cm in diameter, pericarp yellow-green, fleshy, endocarp bony but explosively dehiscent into 3, two-valved cocci when pericarp is removed" (Howard, 1989; p. 76).

Habitat/ecology:  "The emblic is subtropical rather than strictly tropical. In India, it flourishes from sea-level up to an altitude of 5,000 ft (1,800 m). The emblic seems to grow equally well under both and and humid conditions. It is noted for being able to thrive in regions too dry and soil too poor for most other fruit crops." (NewCROP)

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Tropical Asia but introduced and cultivated elsewhere" (Howard, 1989; p. 76).

Presence:

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	introduced	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 123) Cultivated?
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	native	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 69) Critically endangered
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Comments:  A potentially invasive species in Australia (Csurhes & Edwards, 1998; p. 123).

Additional information:
Information on the Purdue New Crop Resource Online Program

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

Information about Phyllanthus emblica as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

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

References:

Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. 2009. A checklist of the total vascular plant flora of Singapore: native, naturalised and cultivated species. Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore. 273 pp.

Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. 1998. Potential environmental weeds in Australia: Candidate species for preventative control. Canberra, Australia. Biodiversity Group, Environment Australia. 208 pp.

Howard, Richard A. 1989. Flora of the Lesser Antilles: Leeward and Windward Islands. Vol. 5 Dicotyledoneae-Part 2 Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University. 604 pp.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong. 2011. Flora of China (online resource).