Phyllanthus pulcher (Dragon of the World, Tropical Leaf-flower)
Botanical Information
| Family | Phyllanthaceae |
| Genus | Phyllanthus |
| Species | pulcher |
| Synonyms | Epistylium glaucescens, Epistylium phyllanthoides, Epistylium pulchrum, Reidia glaucescens, Phyllanthus zollingeri var. microphyllus, Phyllanthus pallidus |
| Category | Tropicals |
| Type | Shrub (evergreen) |
| References | Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2019-07-26. |
| Origin | Native to Borneo, Cambodia, China (Guanxi and Yunnan), Java, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sumatra, Thailand and Vietnam. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses Disclaimer | This plant is used as vegetable, and medicinally in Asia. It has many medicinal properties, including antibacterial, fever reducer, pain reliever, blood pressure reducer, and shows good potential in cancer treatment research. |
Details
| USDA Hardiness Zone | 10a - 11 |
| USDA Hardiness Ref. | |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone | Requires cold season protection under glass. |
| Canada Hardiness Ref. | |
| RHS Hardiness Zone | H3 - H1c |
| RHS Hardiness Ref. | |
| Temperature (°C) | (-1.1) to above 4.5 |
| Temperature (°F) | 30 - 40 |
| Height | 0,5 - 1,2 m |
Description and Growing Information
| General Description | An evergreen semiligneous shrub, 0,5-1,2 m tall. |
| Landscape | Flowerbeds, borders, bonsai, and it can be grown over a wall to form a dense, attractive weeping hedge. It can also be grown along the edge of freshwater bodies. |
| Propagation | By seed. |
| Cultivation | Grows best in a sunny position, preferring a moist but well-drained, humus-rich soil. |
| Notable Specimens | Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, Mae Rim District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. |
| Habitat | It grows in the open forests mainly along the banks of streams, from sea level up to about 1800 m. |
| Bark/Stem Description | Erect stems and plagiotropic branches, up to 40 cm long. |
| Leaf Description | The branches are provided with leaves, on a 1-2 mm long petiole, simple, alternate, distichous, obliquely oblong-ovate, apiculate (the rounded apex of the leaf narrows abruptly in a short point) and with entire margin, 1,5-3 cm long and 0,6-1,3 cm broad, of green colour above, grey green below; due to the particular disposition of the leaves the branch looks like a pinnate leaf. |
| Flower Description | Small red-and-white flowers. Plants can produce flowers all year round. |
| Fruit Description | Sub-globose brown capsules, of about 3 mm of diameter, containing usually two trigonal seeds, about 2.5 mm long and 0.4 mm thick. |
Photographs
Phyllanthus pulcher, form, Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, Mae Rim District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand.
Phyllanthus pulcher, leaf, Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, Mae Rim District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand.