Breynia racemosa (Bl.) Mull.Arg., in DC. Prodr. 15, 2 (1866)

Synonyms
Breynia acuminata (Mull.Arg.) Mull.Arg.
Breynia racemosa var. aromatica Airy Shaw
Breynia racemosa var. concolor Mull.Arg.
Breynia racemosa var. genuina Mull.Arg.
Breynia reclinata (Roxb.) Hook.f.
Breynia rhamnoides var. hypoleuca (Mull.Arg) Mull.Arg.
Melanthesa acuminata Mull.Arg.
Melanthesa racemosa Bl.
Melanthesa reclinata (Roxb.) Mull.Arg.
Melanthesa rhamnoides var. hypoglauca Mull.Arg.
Melanthesopsis fruticosa Mull.Arg.
Melanthesopsis lucens Mull.Arg.
Phyllanthus racemifer Steud.
Phyllanthus reclinatus Roxb.
Phyllanthus rhamnoides Bojer ex Mull.Arg.

Description
Scrambling shrub up to 5 m tall. Stipules ca. 1.5 mm long. Leaves in one plane, alternate, simple, penni-veined, glabrous, whitish below. Flowers ca. 2.5 mm diameter, yellowish, placed solitary in leaf axils. Fruits ca. 5 mm long, red, dehiscent capsule, seeds orange.

Ecology
In disturbed forest sites, forest edges, scrub vegetations, roadsides, villages, mangrove edges, coastal up to 300 m altitude. On alluvial sites and hillsides, with sandy to clay soils.

Uses
The leaves are used against coughing.

Distribution
Nicobar Islands, Andaman Islands, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo (Sarawak, Sabah, West-, Central-, South- and East-Kalimantan), Philippines, Celebes.

Local names
Borneo: Majam akar, Mata burung, Menyam, Salah, Tjako manis hutan.