Broad-leaved Phyllanthus
Critically endangered, native to a small mountain area in western Jamaica.
Broad-leaved Phyllanthus is unusual in that its flowers appear to sit directly on the leaves – something that flowers never do. On closer inspection, it turns out that the ‘leaves’ are in fact sections of the flattened stem, having taken over the function of the leaves.
In the wild, broad-leaved Phyllanthus is only found in a small mountain area in western Jamaica. It is therefore registered as ‘near threatened’ on the International Red List of Threatened Species that is compiled by The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Facts:
- Greenhouse location: Tropical house
- Danish name: Busk-myrobalan
- Latin name: Phyllanthus arbuscula
- Family: Phyllanthus family / Phyllanthaceae
- Natural habitat: Jamaica