Breynia.
Family Phyllanthaceae > Subfamily Phyllanthoideae > Tribe Phyllantheae.
They are native to large areas from India to China to Australia.
With the inclusion of genera such as Sauropsis Plants of the World Online (Kew) says there are now 93 species.
A few are native to Australia and 1 to S. E. Queensland.
The shrubs to small trees have phyllanthoid branching (see Pyllanthus notes).
The main and usually erect stems have scale leaves (cataphylls).
There are sometimes simple hairs.
Foliage leaves, on short side branches are alternately arranged in 2 ranks.
The very short or almost no petiole has 2 small pointed stipules at the base.
The smallish simple blades have a smooth edge and are paler underneath.
Unisexual flowers are in axillary inflorescences with male and female on the same plant plant.
Males are in small bundles (fascicles) or occasionally solitary and the females, towards the branch ends, are solitary.
They are both on a short stalk or pedicel.
The bell or obconical (inverted cone) calyx has 6 sepals, with their bases fused and in 2 whorls.
In males the lobes bend inwards but the longer female lobes do not.
There are no petals or nectaries.
Male flowers have 3 stamens with short erect filaments forming a tube.
The basifixed anthers open outwards through longitudinal slits and there is no rudimentary ovary.
Female flowers have a superior ovary of 3 fused carpels with 3 locules each with 2 ovules.
The 3 short styles have a simple or bifid stigma.
The 3 chambered fruit are sometimes just described or are identified as a berry, berry-like (baccate), drupe-like or
a woody loculicidal capsule that is slow to open.
The sometimes slightly fleshy fruit mature from green to red.
There are 6 seeds with 2 flat inner surfaces and a rounded outer.
J.F
