Phyllanthus Acidus Phyllanthus Acidus is a small tree that grows to a height of 9 m tall. The plant is thought to have originated in Madagascar and is now widespread in Tropical Asia.
The leaves are compound and consists of about 12 pairs of folioles that are glaucous below and linear-lanceolate.
The flowers are small, pinkish and arranged in panicles up to 12 cm long. The fruits are cream colored, globose, six to eight lobed drupes of up to 2.5 cm in diameter that are palatable, apple like in taste, sour and containing four to six seeds.
Burmese eat the fruits to promote appetite, and swallow the sap to induce vomiting and relieve the bowels from costiveness.
In the Philippines the leaves are used externally to calm itchiness and a decoction of the bark is drunk to treat ling disease.
In Indonesia, the leaves are used as counter irritant in sciatica and lumbago.
In Malaysia, the vapors emitted when boiling the roots in water are inhaled to treat cough and headache.
Phyllanthus Acidus
