Phyllanthus somalensis
Phyllanthus somalensis
Safety & Hazards
In Kenya the leaves are suspected of poisoning livestock[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ].
Botanical Description
Phyllanthus somalensis is a shrub with flexuous branches; it usually grows 1 - 2 metres tall, occasionally to 3 metres[ 328 Title African Flowering Plants Database Publication Author Website http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php Publisher Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques. Year 0 ISBN Description Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map. , 500 Title Flora of Somalia Publication Author Thulin M. (Editor) Publisher Kew Publishing, London. Year 1993 ISBN Description Detailed information on the plants of the region, often adding notes on the plants uses. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use. Phyllanthus somalensis is only known from nine localities and has an area of occupancy of just 36km2. This is a water dependent species, and the drying up of water sources coupled with grazing practices pose a direct threat. It is not clear whether this species is experiencing a continuing decline in population and range. The plant is classified as 'Near Threatened' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2020)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].