Phyllanthus niruri in the genus Phyllanthus of the family Phyllanthaceae is a widespread tropical plant commonly found in coastal areas from Texas southward through Mexico, Central America, and wide regions of South America and India. It has the common name chanca piedra among numerous others in Spanish.

Description

Phyllanthus niruri

It grows 50–70 cm (20–28 in) tall and bears ascending herbaceous branches. The bark is smooth and light green. It bears numerous pale green flowers which are often flushed with red. The fruits are tiny, smooth capsules containing seeds.

Research

A 2011 Cochrane review found that there is "no convincing evidence that phyllanthus, compared with placebo, benefits people with chronic hepatitis B virus infection."

Extracts of the plant are common in herbal supplements marketed with the claim of inhibiting the formation of kidney stones. There is limited evidence regarding the efficacy of P. niruri extracts in treating kidney stones.

Gallery

  • Niruri fruit
  • Niruri proliferation