Florida five-petalled leafflower
Phyllanthus pentaphyllus var. floridanus
Phyllanthaceae


Landscape Uses:

Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations.

Ecological Restoration Notes:

It can be used as one of many understory herbs in pine rocklands.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description:
Small herb.
Height:
About 4-8 inches in height. Spreading from underground stems (rhizomes) and forming small, open patches much broader than tall.
Growth Rate:
Fast.
Range:
Endemic to the Monroe County Keys and Miami-Dade County. In the Monroe County Keys, apparently disjunct from Miami-Dade County to the pine rocklands of Big Pine Key and nearby islands; also reported for Key Largo, but perhaps introduced there.
Habitats:
Pine rocklands.
Soils:
Moist, well-drained limestone soils, without humus.
Nutritional Requirements:
Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils.
Salt Water Tolerance:
Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance:
Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.
Drought Tolerance:
High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements:
Full sun.
Flower Color:
Yellowish-green.
Flower Characteristics:
Inconspicuous.
Flowering Season:
All year.
Fruit:
inconspicuous, 3-lobed capsule.
Wildlife and Ecology:
Horticultural Notes:
Can be grown from seed.
Comments:


George D. Gann