Phyllanthus pinnatus

Phyllanthus pinnatus is a deciduous bushy shrub or a small tree growing up to 4 m in height. 
It is often found unbranched.

The main branches of Phyllanthus pinnatus are rough with stipule-scars and reduced scaly leaves. 
The leaf-bearing branchlets are fascicled and 4 to 7 cm long. 
The bark is smooth, mottled and sometimes flaking. 
The stems are light grey in colour and the twigs are green when young.

The leaves of Phyllanthus pinnatus are simple, growing in an alternate arrangement along lateral branchlets, giving the impression of compound leaves. 
The leaves are elliptic, ovate-elliptic, curved oblong-elliptic to round or obovate. 
The leaves are 0.50 to 2.30 cm long and 0.40 to 1.70 cm wide. 
They are obliquely wedge-shaped, pointed, with a blunt to rounded base and apiculate tip. 
They are membranous, hairless, pale glaucous on the lower side. 
The leaf stalks are less than 3 mm long. 

The flowers of Phyllanthus pinnatus are green to yellow in colour. 
They are borne directly on older branches in many-flowered glomerules, often stalked. 
The plant is dioecious. 
The male flowers grow in clusters at proximal axils, the flower stalks are less than 1 cm long and thread-like, and the 6 stamens are protruding. 
The female flowers grow solitary at distal axils, the flower stalks are up to 3.7 cm long. 
The flower disc is subentire to 6-lobed and flat.
The clusters of male flowers are fragrant. 

The fruits of Phyllanthus pinnatus are 3-lobed capsules. 
They are nearly spherical, 0.50 cm by 1 cm in size. 
The fruits are pendent and shallowly reticulate-venose. 
The fruits are crustaceous, wrinkled, with longitudinal nervation. 
They are pale green in colour turning yellow at maturity. 

The seeds of Phyllanthus pinnatus are small, about 2.50 mm across. 
They are ovoid in shape, faintly lineate. 
They are pale brown in colour, with a deep dark hilar excavation (scar where the funicle was attached).