Sauropus bacciformis (L.) Airy Shaw in Kew Bull. 35: 685. 1980 & 36: 343. 1981; Chakrab. & M.Gangop. in J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 20: 523, f. 1 A - F. 1996. Phyllanthus bacciformis L., Mant. Pl. 2: 294. 1771. Agyneia bacciformis (L.) A.Juss., Euphorb. Gen. 24, t. 6. 1824; Müll.Arg. in DC., Prodr. 15(2): 238. 1866; Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 285. 1887. Synostemon bacciformis (L.) G.L.Webster in Taxon 9: 26. 1960, in adnot.

Prostrate or ascending herbs, up to 50 cm long, entirely glabrous; branchlets quadrangular to semiterete. Leaves variable, broadly to narrowly oblong to elliptic or lanceolate-oblong to linear or obovate to oblanceolate, rounded, obtuse or acute at base, acute, obtuse to rounded and mucronulate at apex, 5 - 26 x 1 - 10 mm, chartaceous; lateral nerves 3 - 6 pairs; petioles 0.2 - 0.6 mm long; stipules linear to triangular, 1 – 2 mm long. Male flowers: pedicels 2.5 - 6 mm long; calyx flat, star-shaped, 1 - 1.5 mm in diam.; segments 6, shortly connate, subflabellate, emarginate to bilobulate; anthers minute, horizontal. Female flowers: pedicels 0.5 - 1 mm long; calyx 3 - 3.5 mm in diam.; segments elliptic, ovate, spathulate or obovate, acute or acuminate, apiculate, 1 - 2.5 x 0.7 - 1.3 mm; ovary ovoid, ca 1 mm in diam.; styles broad, erect, minute, bifid. Fruits ovoid, ellipsoid or subglobose, 4.5 - 6 x 3.5 - 7 mm, unlobed, thin-walled; pedicels 0.5 - 1 mm long.

Fl. & Fr. Jan. - Dec.

Distrib. India: Mainly coastal, on sandy soil. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, ?Orissa and West Bengal.

Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, S. China, Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Java, Philippines and Lesser Sunda Islands.

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