Common Name:

General Information

Phyllanthus madagascariensis is a perennial plant with more or less woody stems; it can grow 10 - 50cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use, mainly as a medicine but also as a food and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Africa - central and eastern Madagascar.

Habitat

Dry forests, littoral forest, clearings and plateaux[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	0.35 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

The fruits are edible and have a sour taste; they are used to make an alcoholic drink of low quality[].

Medicinal

The crushed leaves are applied to eczema and wounds[]. A leaf decoction is applied as lotion or taken in baths to reduce oedema caused by sprains[].

A decoction of the twig or stem bark is taken to treat colic, amoebic dysentery and persistent diarrhoea[].
The scraped stem bark is applied as a poultice to abscesses and wounds[].

A root decoction is taken to treat syphilis]299].
The powdered root is applied to the forehead of children suffering from dizziness and fainting[].

Other Uses

The flexible branches are used to make large fishing nets and baskets[].

The roots are used as a low quality dye for baskets.[].

Propagation

Seed -

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