Description:
· Erect, branched, slender, glabrous or nearly glabrous herb, 10 to 40 cm high, the branches angled.
· Leaves: distichous, imbricate, alternate, pale beneath, sessile, elliptic-oblong to oblong, thin, 5 to 10 mm long, obtuse or apiculate, base slightly oblique, stipules lanceolate.
· Flowers: unisexual, very small, 5-merous, axillary, about 1 mm in diameter, sessile or very shortly pedicelled. Sepal greenish, stamens 3, filaments united below; anthers erect, the slit vertical.
· Fruits: capsules about 2 mm in diameter, muricate or smooth, of 3 dehiscent.

Distribution
A weed in open spaces at low and medium altitude.
In waste places throughout the Philippines.

Chemical constituents and properties
Considered abortifacient, ecbolic, febrifuge.
Contains alkaloids, tannins.

Parts utilized
· Part utilized: entire plant.
· Collect from May to October.
· Rinse, half-dry under the sunlight, compress, then continue drying under shade.

Uses
Folkloric
· Infantile convulsions, hepatitis, jaundice.
· Nephritic edema, urinary infection and lithiasis.
· Enteritis-diarrhea, dysentery,
· Reddening and swelling pains of the eye.
· Dosage: use 15 to 30 gms of dried material or 30 to 60 gms of fresh material in decoction.
· In Ayurveda, used to treat jaundice, dysentery, diabetes, skin ulcers, itching.
Studies
• A study reports that Phyllanthus may inhibit some pro-inflammatory enzymes with a potential use as antiinflammatory for rheumatic ailments.
• Study suggests that P. urinaria and P. niruri may be helpful in Hepatitis B and in malaria.
• Acetone, ethanol and methanol extracts of Phyllanthus urinaria inhibit HSV-2 infection in vitro: Study showed the extracts likely inhibited HSV-2 infection by decreasing virus infectivity and disturbing the early stage of infection
• Hippomanin A from Acetone Extract of Phyllanthus urinaria inhibited HSV-2 but not HSV-1 Infection In Vitro: Results shows hippomanin A impeded HSV-2 but not HSV1..
• Antioxidative and Cardioprotective Effects of Phyllanthus urinaria L. on Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity: Study showed the PU may be an alternative antioxidant for the prevention of DOX cardiotoxicity.
• Phenolic Antioxidants from the Whole Plant of Phyllanthus urinaria: Study demonstrated considerable radical-scavenging activity, isolating 15 phenolic compounds, including ellagitannins, flavonoids and simple glycosylated aromatic acids.

Availability
Wild-crafted.