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Araliaceae

(Family)

Overview

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Araliaceae is a family of flowering plants, also known as the Aralia family (after its type genus Aralia) or Ivy family. The family includes 254 species of trees, shrubs, lianas and perennial herbaceous plants into 2 subfamilies. Species usually bear pinnately or palmately compound leaves, and usually have small flowers produced in large panicles.

The family is closely related to Apiaceae and Pittosporaceae, and the boundaries between these families and other members of Apiales are still uncertain. Some recent systems included Araliaceae in an expanded Apiaceae but this has not been widely followed. Molecular phylogenies suggest that at least some of the genera traditionally included in Apiaceae as subfamily Hydrocotyloideae appear to be more closely related to Araliaceae, and the inclusion of Hydrocotyle and Trachymene in Araliaceae has been recommended (Chandler & Plunkett 2004).

The generic level classification of Araliaceae has been unstable; in particular, numerous genera have been synonymized under Schefflera. Recent molecular phylogenies have shown that this large pantropical genus is polyphyletic and some believe it should be divided again into several genera, though these would probably not correspond with the previously recognized genera.

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List of foliage plant diseases (Araliaceae)

References and external links

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Taxonomy

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The Family Araliaceae is further organized into finer groupings including:

Genera

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Acanthopanax

Eleutherococcus is a genus of 38 species of thorny shrubs and trees in the family Araliaceae. They are native to eastern Asia, from southeast Siberia and Japan south to the Philippines, with the greatest diversity in central and western China. Some species, notably E. senticosus (Siberian ginseng), are used for herbal medicine. Several species are also grown as ornamental garden shrubs. Several dietary substances contain Eleutherococcus senticosis. Members of this Genus may have certain qualities similar to the ginsengs, though further scientific study is needed. [more]

Actinophyllum

Schefflera () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae. The plants are trees, shrubs or lianas, growing 1?30 metres (3 ft 3 in?98 ft 5 in) tall, with woody stems and palmately compound leaves. The circumscription of the genus has varied greatly. Phylogenetic studies have shown that the widely-used broad circumscription as a pantropical genus of over 700 species is polyphyletic, but it remains to be seen how this will affect the classification of the genus. [more]

Anakasia

Anakasia simplicifolia is a species of plant of family Araliaceae, the only species of genus Anakasia. It is endemic to Western New Guinea. [more]

Apiopetalum

Apiopetalum is a genus of plant of family Mackinlayaceae, comprising 2 species. They are small trees, reaching 6 m in height, and have simple leaves. The genus is endemic to New Caledonia. [more]

Aralia

Trees, small, or shrubs, prickly, or unarmed, rhizomatous herbs, andromonoecious or hermaphroditic. Leaves 1-3-pinnately compound, rachis articulate; leaflets 3-20, entire to serrate, serrulate, crenate, or undulate; stipules connate with petioles at base. Inflorescence terminal or axillary, paniculate, corymbose or umbellate, usually consisting of umbels, capitula, or racemes, occasionally umbels solitary. Pedicels articulate below ovary. Calyx rim 5-dentate. Petals 5, imbricate. Stamens 5. Ovary 5(or 6) -carpellate, occasionally aborted to 3; styles 5, distinct or connate at base. Fruit a berry, ± globose, sometimes 3-5-angular. Seeds laterally compressed; endosperm uniform.[1] [more]

Araliaephyllum

[more]

Araliopsoides

[more]

Arthrophyllum

Arthrophyllum is a genus of plant of family Araliaceae comprising 30 accepted species. [more]

Astropanax

Schefflera () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae. The plants are trees, shrubs or lianas, growing 1?30 metres (3 ft 3 in?98 ft 5 in) tall, with woody stems and palmately compound leaves. The circumscription of the genus has varied greatly. Phylogenetic studies have shown that the widely-used broad circumscription as a pantropical genus of over 700 species is polyphyletic, but it remains to be seen how this will affect the classification of the genus. [more]

Astrotricha

Astrotricha are shrubs of the family Araliaceae. It comprises 20 species. [more]

Boerlagiodendron

Osmoxylon is a of flowering plant of family Araliaceae, comprising 60 species. [more]

Brassaia

Schefflera () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae. The plants are trees, shrubs or lianas, growing 1?30 metres (3 ft 3 in?98 ft 5 in) tall, with woody stems and palmately compound leaves. The circumscription of the genus has varied greatly. Phylogenetic studies have shown that the widely-used broad circumscription as a pantropical genus of over 700 species is polyphyletic, but it remains to be seen how this will affect the classification of the genus. [more]

Brassaiopsis

Brassaiopsis is a genus of shrubs of family Araliaceae. It includes about 25 species, distributed in Asia from the Himalaya through China, Vietnam, Thailand to Indonesia. There are 41 species. [more]

Cephalaralia

Cephalaralia cephalobotrys is a species of vine of the family Araliaceae, endemic to Australia. It is the only member of genus Cephalaralia. [more]

Cheirodendron

Cheirodendron is a genus of flowering plant in the ivy family, Araliaceae. All six species in the genus are endemic to Polynesia. The five Hawaiian species are generally called olapa, and occur in wet forests on all major islands as well as some mesic forests, such as . [more]

Chengiopanax

Trees, deciduous, hermaphroditic, unarmed. Leaves palmately compound, borne on both long and short shoots (latter not always preserved on specimens) ; leaflets 3-7(-9), margin minutely serrulate, abaxially with small, pubescent secretory structures in axils of secondary veins; stipules small, united within petiole. Inflorescence a terminal corymbose panicle of umbels; primary axis short; bracts caducous. Pedicels not articulate below ovary. Calyx rim 5-toothed. Petals 5, valvate. Stamens 5. Ovary 2-carpellate; styles 2, united throughout into a persistent column. Fruit a drupe, laterally compressed, globose. Seeds 2; endosperm uniform.[2] [more]

Cuphocarpus

Cuphocarpus is a of plant of family Araliaceae, endemic to Madagascar. It comprises 6 species. [more]

Cussonia

Cussonia is a genus of plants of family Araliaceae, represented by 20 species. It originated in Africa and has its center of distribution in South Africa and Madagascar. [more]

Dendropanax

Dendropanax is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae, consisting of 92 species of evergreen trees and shrubs. They are native to Central and South America, eastern Asia and the Malay Peninsula. [more]

Didymopanax

Schefflera () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae. The plants are trees, shrubs or lianas, growing 1?30 metres (3 ft 3 in?98 ft 5 in) tall, with woody stems and palmately compound leaves. The circumscription of the genus has varied greatly. Phylogenetic studies have shown that the widely-used broad circumscription as a pantropical genus of over 700 species is polyphyletic, but it remains to be seen how this will affect the classification of the genus. [more]

Dimorphanthes

Diosma

[more]

Dizygotheca

Schefflera () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae. The plants are trees, shrubs or lianas, growing 1?30 metres (3 ft 3 in?98 ft 5 in) tall, with woody stems and palmately compound leaves. The circumscription of the genus has varied greatly. Phylogenetic studies have shown that the widely-used broad circumscription as a pantropical genus of over 700 species is polyphyletic, but it remains to be seen how this will affect the classification of the genus. [more]

Echinopanax

[more]

Eleutherococcus

Eleutherococcus is a genus of 38 species of thorny shrubs and trees in the family Araliaceae. They are native to eastern Asia, from southeast Siberia and Japan south to the Philippines, with the greatest diversity in central and western China. Some species, notably E. senticosus (Siberian ginseng), are used for herbal medicine. Several species are also grown as ornamental garden shrubs. [more]

Eremopanax

Arthrophyllum is a of plant of family Araliaceae comprising 30 accepted species. [more]

Euaraliopsis

Brassaiopsis is a of shrubs of family Araliaceae. It includes about 25 species, distributed in Asia from the Himalaya through China, Vietnam, Thailand to Indonesia. There are 41 species. [more]

Evodiopanax

Gamblea is a genus of plants of family , comprising four species. It originally comprised a single species, Gamblea ciliata, known from India. [more]

Fatshedera

A Genus in the Kingdom Plantae. [more]

Fatsia

Fatsia is a small genus of three species of evergreen shrubs native to southern Japan and Taiwan. They have stout, sparsely branched stems bearing spirally-arranged, large leathery, palmately lobed leaves 20-50 cm in width, on a petiole up to 50 cm long, and small creamy-white flowers in dense terminal compound umbels in late autumn or early winter, followed by small black fruit. [more]

Gamblea

Gamblea is a genus of plants of family Araliaceae, comprising four species. It originally comprised a single species, Gamblea ciliata, known from India. [more]

Gastonia

Gilibertia

Dendropanax is a of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae, consisting of 92 species of evergreen trees and shrubs. They are native to Central and South America, eastern Asia and the Malay Peninsula. [more]

Ginannia

[more]

Harmsiopanax

Harmsiopanax is a genus of flowering plant of family Araliaceae. It comprises 3 species. [more]

Hedera

Ivy, plural ivies (Hedera) is a genus of 12?15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and across central-southern Asia east to Japan and Taiwan. [more]

Hederopsis

Macropanax is a of flowering plant of family Araliaceae, comprising 17 species. They are distributed from Central China to Sikkim, Nepal and Bhutan and to western Malaysia. [more]

Heptapleurum

Schefflera () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae. The plants are trees, shrubs or lianas, growing 1?30 metres (3 ft 3 in?98 ft 5 in) tall, with woody stems and palmately compound leaves. The circumscription of the genus has varied greatly. Phylogenetic studies have shown that the widely-used broad circumscription as a pantropical genus of over 700 species is polyphyletic, but it remains to be seen how this will affect the classification of the genus. [more]

Heteropanax

Heteropanax is a genus of flowering plant of family Araliaceae. It comprises 8 species native to southern Asia and China. [more]

Hinopsis

[more]

Hydrocotyle

Hydrocotyle (Pennywort) is a genus of aquatic or semi-aquatic plants formerly classified in the family Apiaceae, now in the family Araliaceae. At least two species are now classed as invasive aliens following introductions outside of their normal range. [more]

Isodon

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[3] [more]

Kalopanax

Kalopanax septemlobus, common name Kalopanax or Prickly Castor-oil Tree, is a deciduous tree in the family Araliaceae, the sole species in the genus Kalopanax. It is native to northeastern Asia, from Sakhalin and Japan west to southwestern China. [more]

Kissodendron

Polyscias is a of flowering plant of family Araliaceae, comprising 114 species. They bear pinnate leaves. [more]

Macropanax

Macropanax is a genus of flowering plant of family Araliaceae, comprising 17 species. They are distributed from Central China to Sikkim, Nepal and Bhutan and to western Malaysia. [more]

Megalopanax

Megalopanax rex is a of flowering plant of family Araliaceae, the only representative of genus Megalopanax. It is endemic to Cuba. Some authorities propose merging this species into Unident. [more]

Merrilliopanax

Merrilliopanax is a genus of flowering plant of family Araliaceae, comprising 3 species. They are endemic to Yunnan, China. [more]

Meryta

Meryta is a genus in the family Araliaceae. There are 27 species in the genus, all small, resinous trees of the subtropical and tropical Pacific Ocean, characterized by huge, simple leaves and a dioecious sexual system, a unique combination in Araliaceae. Meryta has its center of diversity in New Caledonia (11 endemic spp.). Phylogenetic analyses have placed Meryta in one of the three major clades of the Araliaciae, the Polyscias-Pseudopanax group, and more specifically in the Pacific Schefflera subclade. [more]

Metapanax

Metapanax is a of flowering plant of family Araliaceae, comprising 2 species. They are endemic to southern China and Vietnam. [more]

Mormoraphis

[more]

Motherwellia

Motherwellia haplosciadea is a species of of family Araliaceae. It is the sole member of genus Motherwellia. [more]

Munroidendron

Munroidendron racemosum (commonly known as Pokulakalaka), the sole species in the genus Munroidendron, is an extremely rare flowering plant in the ivy family, Araliaceae, that is endemic to the island of Kauai in Hawaii. [more]

Myodocarpus

Myodocarpus is a genus of in family Myodocarpaceae. It contains the following species (but this list may be incomplete): [more]

Neopanax

Pseudopanax is a small genus of 12?20 species of evergreen plants, the majority of which are endemic to New Zealand, although they also occur in Tasmania (Australia) and some plants from South America have at times been included in this genus. Flowers of the genus occur in terminal umbels. [more]

Neosciadium

Nesodoxa

Arthrophyllum is a of plant of family Araliaceae comprising 30 accepted species. [more]

Nothopanax

Polyscias is a of flowering plant of family Araliaceae, comprising 114 species. They bear pinnate leaves. [more]

Oplopanax

Oplopanax is a small genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae, consisting of three species of deciduous shrubs, native to western North America and northeastern Asia. Oplopanax is closely related to the Asian genus Fatsia. [more]

Oreopanax

Oreopanax is a of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae, comprising between 80 and 150 species depending on source. Sinopanax was formerly included herein. [more]

Osmoxylon

Osmoxylon is a genus of flowering plant of family Araliaceae, comprising 60 species. [more]

Panax

Herbs, perennial, with stout rootstock, hermaphroditic or perhaps andromonoecious, unarmed. Stem simple, with scales at base. Leaves palmately compound, in whorls of 3-5; leaflets entire to serrate or dentate or pinnately lobed. Inflorescence a solitary, terminal umbel. Pedicels articulate below bisexual flowers, inarticulate below male flowers. Calyx shortly 5-toothed. Petals 5, imbricate. Stamens 5. Ovary 2- or 3(-5) -carpellate; styles distinct or basally united, as many as carpels. Fruit a drupe, globose, sometimes slightly compressed or triangular. Seeds laterally compressed, as many as carpels; endosperm smooth.[4] [more]

Parapanax

Schefflera () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae. The plants are trees, shrubs or lianas, growing 1?30 metres (3 ft 3 in?98 ft 5 in) tall, with woody stems and palmately compound leaves. The circumscription of the genus has varied greatly. Phylogenetic studies have shown that the widely-used broad circumscription as a pantropical genus of over 700 species is polyphyletic, but it remains to be seen how this will affect the classification of the genus. [more]

Paratropia

Schefflera () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae. The plants are trees, shrubs or lianas, growing 1?30 metres (3 ft 3 in?98 ft 5 in) tall, with woody stems and palmately compound leaves. The circumscription of the genus has varied greatly. Phylogenetic studies have shown that the widely-used broad circumscription as a pantropical genus of over 700 species is polyphyletic, but it remains to be seen how this will affect the classification of the genus. [more]

Pentapanax

Trees or shrubs, evergreen or deciduous, sometimes epiphytic, hermaphroditic or andromonoecious, unarmed. Leaves pinnately compound, rarely simple; leaflets entire to serrate; stipules absent. Inflorescence a terminal panicle of umbels, heads, or racemules, glabrous or pubescent, developing from specialized floral buds, usually surrounded by numerous persistent bracts at base. Pedicels articulate below ovary. Calyx minutely 5-dentate. Petals 5(-7), imbricate. Stamens 5(-7). Ovary (3-) 5(-7) -carpellate; styles united into a column or divided, as many as carpels. Fruit a drupe, globose to ellipsoid or ovoid. Seeds as many as carpels; endosperm uniform.[5] [more]

Plectronia

[more]

Plerandra

Schefflera () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae. The plants are trees, shrubs or lianas, growing 1?30 metres (3 ft 3 in?98 ft 5 in) tall, with woody stems and palmately compound leaves. The circumscription of the genus has varied greatly. Phylogenetic studies have shown that the widely-used broad circumscription as a pantropical genus of over 700 species is polyphyletic, but it remains to be seen how this will affect the classification of the genus. [more]

Polyscias

Polyscias is a genus of flowering plant of family Araliaceae, comprising 114 species. They bear pinnate leaves. [more]

Ponerorchis

[more]

Pseudopanax

Pseudopanax is a small genus of 12?20 species of evergreen plants, the majority of which are endemic to New Zealand, although they also occur in Tasmania (Australia) and some plants from South America have at times been included in this genus. Flowers of the genus occur in terminal umbels. [more]

Pseudosciadium

Delarbrea balansae is a species of flowering plant of family Myodocarpaceae endemic to New Caledonia. It has previously been classified as the sole member of genus Pseudosciadium, but molecular and morphological studies point to its inclusion in the genus Delarbrea. [more]

Raukaua

Raukaua is a of flowering plant of family Araliaceae. It includes 8 species, most of which are endemic to New Zealand. However, some authorities include two species endemic to Southern Chile and Argentina in Raukaua, namely R. laetevirens, a small tree, and R. valdiviensis, a woody vine from Valdivian temperate rain forests. [more]

Reynoldsia

Reynoldsia is a genus of flowering plant in the ivy family, Araliaceae. It comprises 8 species. [more]

Schefflera

Schefflera () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae. The plants are trees, shrubs or lianas, growing 1?30 metres (3 ft 3 in?98 ft 5 in) tall, with woody stems and palmately compound leaves. The circumscription of the genus has varied greatly. Phylogenetic studies have shown that the widely-used broad circumscription as a pantropical genus of over 700 species is polyphyletic, but it remains to be seen how this will affect the classification of the genus. [more]

Sciadophyllum

Schefflera () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae. The plants are trees, shrubs or lianas, growing 1?30 metres (3 ft 3 in?98 ft 5 in) tall, with woody stems and palmately compound leaves. The circumscription of the genus has varied greatly. Phylogenetic studies have shown that the widely-used broad circumscription as a pantropical genus of over 700 species is polyphyletic, but it remains to be seen how this will affect the classification of the genus. [more]

Seemannaralia

Seemannaralia gerrardii is a species of of family Araliaceae. It is the sole member of genus Seemannaralia, endemic to two small areas of eastern Africa. It was originally included in Cussonia. [more]

Sinopanax

Sinopanax formosanus is a species of flowering plant of family Araliaceae and the only species of genus Sinopanax. It is endemic to Taiwan. [more]

Strobilopanax

Meryta is a genus in the family Araliaceae. There are 27 species in the genus, all small, resinous trees of the subtropical and tropical Pacific Ocean, characterized by huge, simple leaves and a dioecious sexual system, a unique combination in Araliaceae. Meryta has its center of diversity in New Caledonia (11 endemic spp.). Phylogenetic analyses have placed Meryta in one of the three major clades of the Araliaciae, the Polyscias-Pseudopanax group, and more specifically in the Pacific Schefflera subclade. [more]

Tetrapanax

Tetrapanax papyrifer (Tung-tsau or Rice-paper Plant) is an evergreen shrub in the family Araliaceae, the sole species in the genus Tetrapanax. It is endemic to Taiwan, but also widely cultivated elsewhere in eastern Asia. It grows to 3-7 m tall, with usually unbranched stems 2 cm diameter bearing a rosette of large leaves at the top (superficially similar to a palm crown). The leaves are carried on 40-60 cm petioles, the leaf blade orbicular, 30-50 cm across, deeply palmately lobed with 5-11 primary lobes, each lobe usually secondarily lobulate. It spreads extensively by sprouts from the root system underground. [more]

Tetrapanex

[more]

Tetraplasandra

Tetraplasandra is a genus of flowering plants in the ivy family, Araliaceae. It comprises seven species, all of which are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. [more]

Tieghemopanax

Polyscias is a of flowering plant of family Araliaceae, comprising 114 species. They bear pinnate leaves. [more]

Trachymene

Trachymene is a genus of herbs in the family Apiaceae. The species are native to Australia, Malesia, New Caledonia and Fiji. [more]

Trevesia

Trevesia is a genus of flowering plant of family Araliaceae. It comprises 10 species, all of which are endemic to the Indomalayan region. [more]

Tupidanthus

Schefflera () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae. The plants are trees, shrubs or lianas, growing 1?30 metres (3 ft 3 in?98 ft 5 in) tall, with woody stems and palmately compound leaves. The circumscription of the genus has varied greatly. Phylogenetic studies have shown that the widely-used broad circumscription as a pantropical genus of over 700 species is polyphyletic, but it remains to be seen how this will affect the classification of the genus. [more]

Wangenheimia

Dendropanax is a of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae, consisting of 92 species of evergreen trees and shrubs. They are native to Central and South America, eastern Asia and the Malay Peninsula. [more]

Wardenia

Brassaiopsis is a of shrubs of family Araliaceae. It includes about 25 species, distributed in Asia from the Himalaya through China, Vietnam, Thailand to Indonesia. There are 41 species. [more]

Woodburnia

Woodburnia penduliflora is a species of of family Araliaceae and the only representative of genus Woodburnia. [more]

X Fatshedera

At least 4 species and subspecies belong to the Genus X Fatshedera.

More info about the Genus X Fatshedera may be found here.

Footnotes

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  1. "Aralia". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 435, 436, 437, 475, 476, 478, 480. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.
  2. "Chengiopanax". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 436, 438, 454. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.
  3. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=113831
  4. "Panax". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 435, 437, 489. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.
  5. "Pentapanax". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 435, 437, 475, 480. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.

Sources

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Last Revised: August 24, 2012
2012/08/24 13:24:18