Phyllanthus warnockii

G. L. Webster

Sand reverchonia

Phyllanthaceae Edible: Fruit Potential hazards — see below 93 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Phyllanthus warnockii, the sand reverchonia, is a plant species of the leaf-flower family. It is an annual that specializes in growing on sand dunes in the Southwestern United States and adjacent northeastern Mexico. Though experiments found it to be poisonous to sheep, members of the Hopi Tribe in northeastern Arizona traditionally use the berries to oil and season cooking slabs for making corn wafer bread.

Description

An annual plant that grows on sand dunes. The leaves are long and narrow. The flowers and then the fruit are in the axils of leaves.

This description is brief — help expand it

Edible Uses

The sweet berries are eaten and contain oil that was traditionally used to oil and season food.

Traditional Uses

The sweet berries are eaten. They have oil that was used to oil and season food. The plant is poisonous to animals.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Known Hazards

In a limited experiment feeding the plant to confined sheep and cattle published in the 1960s it was found to be toxic. Sheep showed symptoms after being fed 1% of their body weight in freshly collected plant material, but cattle were less affected. The experimental animals had acute damage to the liver and kidneys, but in the cases of free roaming animals they had chronic symptoms and extensive fibrosis. Its symptoms are similar to those caused by Phyllanthus abnormis. Nothing is known of the toxin in sand reverchonia or if other mamals will be similarly harmed.

Distribution

It is a warm temperate plant.

Where It Grows

Mexico, North America, USA,

Notes

Also put in the Euphorbiaceae,

Synonyms

Reverchonia arenaria A. Gray

References (2)

Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994) (As Reverchonia arenaria)
Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 16:107. 1881 (As Reverchonia arenaria)