Phyllanthus engleri Pax

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Photo: Mark Hyde
By Mazowe River, Hippo Pools

Photo: Bart Wursten
Garura section of Mazowe River Game Reserve, Maramba CL, across Mazowe River from Hippo Pools

Photo: Bart Wursten
Hippo Pools

Photo: Mark Hyde
By the Mazowe River, Hippo Pools

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Synonyms:
Common names:	Spurred phyllanthus (English) Spurred potato-bush (English)
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Glabrous, dioecious, shrub or small tree to 8 m. Bark grey, fissured. Leafy branchlets up to 30 cm, borne on stout 2-3 cm long spur-branchlets these bearing scale leaves, which harden into thick, stout spines. Foliage leaves usually suborbicular, dull to yellowish green above, ± glaucous beneath; apex rounded or obtuse; stipules 1-4 mm, lancolate, caducous. Flowers in fascicles. Male flowers: sepals (4-)5, strongly imbricate, ovate; disk glands 5; stamens free. Female flowers not known. Fruit subglobose, 1.5-2 × 2-2.5 cm, 3-lobed, yellowish-green, Seeds up to 6, c. 1 cm long.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	engleri: named after Dr Prof Heinrich Gustav Adolf Engler (1844-1930), German Director of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Berlin, who initiated extensive botanical exploration in Africa.
Habitat:	In hot, dry, deciduous woodland; also in Kalahari Sand vleis and on alluvial flats, often on termitaria.
Altitude range:
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique
Mozambique distribution:	N,MS
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Tuesday 27 November 2012
Literature:	Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 415. (Includes a picture). Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Page 473. (Includes a picture). Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 251. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 42. Radcliffe-Smith, A. (1996). Euphorbiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(4) Page 47.

Other sources of information about Phyllanthus engleri:

Our websites:

Flora of Malawi: Phyllanthus engleri
Flora of Zambia: Phyllanthus engleri
Flora of Zimbabwe: Phyllanthus engleri

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Phyllanthus engleri
African Plant Database: Phyllanthus engleri
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Phyllanthus engleri
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Phyllanthus engleri
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Phyllanthus engleri
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Phyllanthus engleri
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Phyllanthus engleri
JSTOR Plant Science: Phyllanthus engleri
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Phyllanthus engleri
Plants of the World Online: Phyllanthus engleri
Tropicos: Phyllanthus engleri
Wikipedia: Phyllanthus engleri