Euphorbiaceae · Phyllanthus

Harfarauri / Star Gooseberry

Phyllanthus acidus

Also known as Grosella

TreeMedicinal
Habit
Tree
Found in India
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh & more
Flowering
Throughout the year

Plant Details

Scientific name
Phyllanthus acidus
Genus
Phyllanthus
Habit
Tree
Native to
Brazil
Distribution
Tropics
Found in India
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal, Telangana, Assam, Gujarat, Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Nagaland
Flowering & fruiting
Throughout the year
Conservation status
Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf arrangement
AlternaterecordedOne leaf per node, arranged in a spiral or zigzag up the stem.The branchlets bear alternate leaves that are ovate or lanceolate in form, with short petioles and pointed ends. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf shape
LanceolaterecordedLong and narrow, tapering to a point, like a lance head.The branchlets bear alternate leaves that are ovate or lanceolate in form, with short petioles and pointed ends. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf margin
Entire (smooth edge)recorded
Leaf surface
GlabrousrecordedSmooth, hairless.The leaves are 2–7.5 cm long and thin, they are green and smooth on the upperside and blue-green on the underside. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Typical of the family

Simple type leaf character
Type
Simple
Pinnate venation leaf character
Venation
Pinnate

Characters marked “recorded” are for Harfarauri itself; the rest are typical of the Euphorbiaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour
GreenrecordedGreen or greenish
Flower arrangement
PaniclerecordedA branching cluster of clusters.They are small and pinkish and appear in clusters in 5-to-12.5-cm long panicles. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Typical of the family

Inflorescence
Cyme
Fruit
Capsule

Characters marked “recorded” are for Harfarauri itself; the rest are typical of the Euphorbiaceae family — flowering plants only.

Local Names

Hindi
हरफ़रौरी Harfarauri
Nepali
काँसी अमला
Bengali
অরবরই, অরবড়ই, অরবরি
Tamil
Aranelli, அருநெல்லி
Telugu
రాచ ఉసిరి
Malayalam
പുളിനെല്ലി, Otaheite gooseberry, അരിനെല്ലിക്ക
Marathi
हरफ़रौरी Harpharori, रायआवळा, रायआंवळा

About Harfarauri

Star Gooseberry (Phyllanthus acidus) belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family, where it grows as a tree. In India it has been recorded in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and 12 other states. It flowers and fruits through much of the year.

Uses

In practice it is grown for parts that are eaten, long used in traditional medicine and planted as an ornamental. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice.

Illustration representing the Euphorbiaceae family
Botanical family

Euphorbiaceae

Spurge/Euphorbia family

Harfarauri belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family.

The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.

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