Phyllanthus niruri--Stonebreaker (BE HEALED ALWAYS)

Phyllanthus niruri, like most tropical plants, has evolved several adaptations that allow it to thrive in a tropical habitat. One of these adaptations is the shape of its leaves. Due to the extreme rainfall in the rainforests, P. niruri needs to be able to shed excess water. This is accomplished with what is called a “drip tip.” The shape of the leaves are pointed in such a way that water quickly runs off of them. It’s important for P. niruri to shed this over supply of water to hinder fungal and bacterial growth.

Like all plants, P. niruri undergoes an alternation of generations. Stonebreaker has a dominant sporophyte (diploid) stage in its lifecycle, while the gametophyte stage (haploid) is reduced. The flowers of Stonebreaker are monoecious meaning both the male and female parts are on the same plant. In addition, Phyllanthus niruri contains microspores, which are gametophytes that will develop into pollen grains (sperm) through meiosis. It also has megaspores that will develop into the female parts through meiosis as well. On the anther of each flower, the microsporangium develops microspores that get transported to the ovule in the megasporangium either by wind pollination or cross-pollination with insects.

After pollination, the two gametophytes fuse together and form a diploid zygote. The zygote develops into an embryo which is packaged inside a seed with a food supply. When the seed finally germinates, the embryo will undergo mitosis until P. niruri reaches adulthood.

 Now that you know how Stonebreaker reproduces, let’s learn some interesting facts.