Description: A small to medium deciduous tree with a light, feathery appearance caused by numerous small leaves arranged along branchlets.

Identification: Small closely arranged leaves; greenish flowers; nearly spherical yellow-green fruits with characteristic vertical grooves.

Habitat & distribution: Native to tropical and subtropical Asia and widely cultivated in India.

Uses / importance: Fruit is widely used as food and in traditional Indian medicine. It is valued for its nutritional content and cultural importance.

Taxonomy:
Kingdom – Plantae
Clade – Angiosperms
Clade – Eudicots
Order – Malpighiales
Family – Phyllanthaceae
Genus – Phyllanthus
Species – P. emblica

Sources: Kew POWO; IPNI; India Biodiversity Portal.