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Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet

Family: Phyllanthaceae
Sauropus trachyspermus

Citation: Airy Shaw, Kew Bull. 35:685 (1980).

Synonymy: Phyllanthus trachyspermus F. Muell., J. Trans. Vict. Inst. 1:14 (1854); Glochidion trachyspermum (F. Muell.)H. Eichler, Suppl. 210 (1965); Synostemon trachyspermus (F. Muell.)Airy Shaw in Jessop, Flora of central Australia 193 ( 1981); P. rhytidospermus F. Muell. ex Muell.-Arg., Linnaea 34:70 (1865); G. rhytidospermum (Muell.-Arg.)H. Eichler, Suppl. 210 (1965).

Common name: Slender (or dwarf)spurge.

Description:
Small glaucous low subshrub from a woody tap root, occasionally annual, with numerous crowded erect or flexuose glabrous leafy stems to 20 cm long; leaves erect or ascending, subsessile, subdistichous, broadly linear, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, 5-15 x 2-4 mm, base rounded, apex rounded-mucronate or acute, thin, glabrous, glaucescent, sometimes with short stiff hairs beneath; stipules linear, to 2 mm long, acute, spreading; monoecious.

Flowers axillary, solitary, pedicellate; male flowers globose, to 0.5 mm across, on filiform pedicels to 0.5 mm long, on the basal half of the stem; calyx segments ovate, acute, 0.6-0.7 mm long; staminal column very short practically none, anthers connate; female flowers usually on the distal two-thirds of the stem, on pedicels to 2 mm long (in fruit); calyx segments linear-lanceolate, to 2 mm long, acute, ridged, green with white scarious edges, erect, spreading at the apex, glabrous; ovary glabrous, with 3 very short spreading apically 2-fid yellowish-brown styles.

Capsule ovoid, 4-5 x 3-5 mm, very slightly 6-lobed, glabrous, greenish, smooth, drooping; seed incurved, 3-4.5 mm long, whitish, deeply and beautifully wrinkled all over except in the ventral sinus-like hilum which is deeply excavated.

image of FSA2_Sauropus_tra.jpg Sauropus trachyspermus twigs, female flower, 2 views of male flower, fruit and seed.
Image source: fig 411c in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).

Distribution:  In sandy-loam over limestone or sandy plains in mulga communities, on alluvial flood plains, in paddocks and around walls of farm buildings.

  W.Aust.; N.T.; Qld; N.S.W.

Conservation status: native

Flowering time: most of the year.


SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: It was believed by some botanists that the plants are dioecious as most of the plants have only the female flowers, developing acropetally and because the male flowers are minute and early caducous.

Taxonomic notes: Similar to Phyllanthus fuernrohrii which is pubescent and has brown smooth seeds.

Author: Not yet available


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