1a   Trees or shrubs………………………………………………………………2

1b   Herbs or subshrubs …………………………………………………………6

2a   Tepals 5; fruits berries, bluish black…………………………………….... Phyllanthus reticulatus

2b   Tepals 6; fruits drupes or capsules, other than bluish black….…………3

3a   Tepals oblanceolate; fruits drupes …………………………………………4

3b   Tepals ovate; fruits capsules………………………………………………..5

4a   Leaves less than 5 mm wide, more than 60 per branchlet……………….Phyllanthus emblica

4b   Leaves more than 5 mm wide, less than 40 per branchlet……................Phyllanthus indofischeri

5a   Leaves ovate-elliptic to suborbicular, more than 1 cm wide,

       glaucous beneath..................................................................................... Phyllanthus pinnatus

5b   Leaves oblong, less than 0.6 cm wide, not glaucous beneath……….….. Phyllanthus polyphyllus

6a   Tepals 5.................................................................................................... Phyllanthus amarus

6b   Tepals 6 ....................................................................................................7

7a   Leaves obovate; seeds vertically muriculate.............................................Phyllanthus maderaspatensis

7b   Leaves other than obovate; seeds other than the above…..…..……........8

8a   Capsules smooth; seeds longitudinally striate…………………………..….9

8b   Capsules verrucose or warty; seeds not striate………………………….…11

9a   Leaves narrowly elliptic-oblong, < 5 mm wide, green beneath……….......Phyllanthus debilis

9b   Leaves broadly elliptic-ovate, > 8 mm wide, glaucous beneath……….....10

10a Leaves papery; female calyx-lobes with wide scarious margins………....Phyllanthus kozhikodianus

10b Leaves subfleshy; female calyx-lobes with narrow scarious margins.......Phyllanthus rheedii

11a Leaves oblong; capsules verrucose; seeds transversely ridged...............Phyllanthus urinaria