Replied By Sherri (Seattle) on 03/18/2026

It has become common practice, for quite some time, for some researchers to "mislead" the unknowing reader or researcher as to the actual identity of the plant in the research study because it has very powerful and broad healing properties. This is the case for Chanca Piedra which is Phyllanthus niruri. In a sense, they are trying to hide the "secret recipe."

On Dr Leslie Taylor's website (an expert in Amazonian medicinal herbs), during the 1980s and 1990s, there was quite a bit of confusion among scientists about plant identification (intentional) so they completely reclassified the Phyllanthus genus and designated P. amarus as a type of P. niruri; hence, they can use the terms interchangeably in research even though there are differences in medical applications, chemical profiles and potency.

P. amarus and P. sellowinus are similar to P. niruri in appearance and medicinal use though, they are different plants/species. There are over 600 species in this genus.

P. amarus tends to grow in the drier tropical climates compared to P. niruri.

Try to get real P. niruri from Peru. It is also indigenous to the Bahamas, southern India, China and the Amazon.

chanca = crushing, beating, breaking, ...

piedra = stone

amarus = loving, lover

Chanca piedra = stone breaker, shatter stone

Chanca amarus = stone lover

Note: chanca piedra is often combined with milk thistle for better liver detoxification or with dandelion for a more powerful kidney treatment. These combinations are synergistic. Chanca Piedra is a very powerful antiviral so combining it with another potent antiviral herb may also be synergistic (jergon sacha, cinnamon, etc...).