Philippine Native Plants: Phyllanthus balgooyi

MANILA, Philippines - Scientific name: Phyllanthus balgooyii Hoffman & Baker

Family: Euphorbiaceae

Distribution: Palawan (Mt. Bloomfield, Nagtabon, Mt. Victoria, etc.). Also found in Sabah, Malaysia.

Description: Shrub to 2 m or taller. The branches are usually numerous and the leaves are arranged in one plane, assymetrical, oblong, to 1.5 cm long and to 1 cm wide. The flowers are in pairs in leaf axils, minute, white, borne on the abaxial side of the stem. The fruit is a rounded capsule, 3-lobed and minute.

Conservation Notes: In the Philippines this species grows only in Palawan and is confined to that part of the island where the substrate is ultramafic or with high metallic content. The plant is rather not common and is said to be threatened by mining activities. The species is ecologically important and is considered an indicator for metals beneath the soil.

For further information contact: Domingo A. Madulid, Philippine National Museum, Botany Division, P. Burgos St., Manila. Tel. 5271218.

Email: [email protected]

Photo Credit: D.A.Madulid