The Indian gooseberry - Phyllanthus - grows in the wild in India as well as being cultivated. It's an exfoliating smooth barked deciduous tree of small to medium height with a crooked trunk. The ripe fruit which are yellowish green and globose are highly valued and are used traditionally as a general tonic. Other applications include constipation, urinary difficulties, vomiting, anxiety and headache.

The leavers are used in bronchitis and conjunctivitis.

Ethnoveterinary application: the fruit is used as a food for ruminants, and seeds applied to wounds. In addition to the fruit, bark, leaves and other parts of the tree are used for coughs, colds, wounds with maggots, poisoning - especially datura poisoning - dysentery and diarrrhoea. There are other uses.