Mascarene Island Leaf-Flower
Phyllanthus tenellus
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka & more
- Flowering
- Throughout the year
How to identify Mascarene Island Leaf-Flower
Identify Mascarene Island Leaf-Flower by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a herb habit.
- Confirm leaf margin: Entire (smooth edge).
- Confirm leaf surface: Glabrous (smooth, hairless).
- Confirm flower colour: Green.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: Throughout the year.
- In India, compare location records such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Euphorbiaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Mascarene Island Leaf-Flower.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Phyllanthus tenellus
- Genus
- Phyllanthus
- Family
- Euphorbiaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- Waste places and plantations
- Habitat type
- Cultivated, Wasteland
- Native to
- Mascarene Islands
- Distribution
- Introduced into Tropics and sub tropics
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand
- Flowering & fruiting
- Throughout the year
Leaf characters
- Leaf margin
- Entire (smooth edge)recorded
- Leaf surface
- Glabrous (smooth, hairless)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Mascarene Island Leaf-Flower itself; the rest are typical of the Euphorbiaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- GreenrecordedGreen or greenish
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Mascarene Island Leaf-Flower itself; the rest are typical of the Euphorbiaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Tamil
- மேலாநெல்லி
About Mascarene Island Leaf-Flower
A member of the Euphorbiaceae family, Mascarene Island leaf-flower (Phyllanthus tenellus) is a herb. In India it has been recorded in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and 7 other states. It grows in waste places and plantations. It flowers and fruits through much of the year.
Euphorbiaceae
Spurge/Euphorbia family
Mascarene Island Leaf-Flower belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Euphorbiaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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