Schefflera digitata

• Overview
• Interesting Facts
• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Overview

Interesting Facts

Common Names

Click on the language to view common names.

Description

Family Araliaceae

Trees or shrubs , sometimes woody vines with aerial roots , rarely perennial herbs, hermaphroditic , andromonoecious or dioecious, often with stellate indumentum or more rarely simple trichomes or bristles , with or without prickles, secretory canals present in most parts. Leaves alternate, rarely opposite (never in Chinese taxa), simple and often palmately lobed , palmately compound , or 1-3-pinnately compound , usually crowded toward apices of branches, base of petiole often broad and sheathing stem, stipules absent or forming a ligule or membranous border of petiole. Inflorescence terminal or pseudo-lateral (by delayed development), umbellate , compound-umbellate, racemose, racemose-umbellate, or racemose-paniculate, ultimate units usually umbels or heads , occasionally racemes or spikes, flowers rarely solitary; bracts usually present, often caducous , rarely foliaceous . Flowers bisexual or unisexual , actinomorphic . Pedicels often jointed below ovary and forming an articulation . Calyx absent or forming a low rim , sometimes undulate or with short teeth. Corolla of (3-) 5(-20) petals, free or rarely united , mostly valvate , sometimes imbricate. Stamens usually as many as and alternate with petals, sometimes numerous , distinct , inserted at edge of disk; anthers versatile, introrse , 2-celled (or 4-celled in some non-Chinese taxa), longitudinally dehiscent . Disk epigynous, often fleshy , slightly depressed to rounded or conic, sometimes confluent with styles. Ovary inferior (rarely secondarily superior in some non-Chinese taxa), (1 or) 2-10(to many) -carpellate; carpels united, with as many locules; ovules pendulous, 2 per locule, 1 abortive ; styles as many as carpels, free or partially united, erect or recurved, or fully united to form a column; stigmas terminal or decurrent on inner face of styles, or sessile on disk, circular to elliptic and radiating. Fruit a drupe or berry, terete or sometimes laterally compressed , occasionally vertically compressed , exocarp fleshy; pyrenes cartilaginous or membranous, often laterally compressed. Seeds 1 per pyrene, embryo small, endosperm uniform or ruminate .

About 50 genera and 1350 species: widespread in tropical and subtropical regions of both hemispheres, much less diverse in temperate areas; 23 genera (two endemic, one introduced ) and 180 species (82 endemic, seven introduced) in China.

Chinese genera of economic importance include Aralia, Eleutherococcus, Heteropanax, Panax, and Tetrapanax (medicinal), Hedera (ornamental ), Fatsia and Schefflera (medicinal and ornamental), and Kalopanax (timber) .

Recent phylogenetic studies (Plunkett and Lowry, Molec. Phylogen. Evol. 19: 259-276. 2001; Wen et al. , Syst. Bot. 26: 144-167. 2001; Chandler and Plunkett, Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 144: 123-147. 2004; Mitchell and Wen, Taxon 53: 29-41. 2004; Plunkett et al., S. Afr. J. Bot. 70: 371-381. 2004) have shown that Hydrocotyle Linnaeus belongs to Araliaceae, despite being traditionally included in Apiaceae (see Fl. China 14: 14-18. 2005) .

Diplopanax Handel-Mazzetti was at one time placed in Araliaceae but is now regarded as a member of Mastixiaceae (see Fl. China 14: 231-232. 2005) .[1]

Genus Schefflera

Shrubs or trees , sometimes climbers or epiphytes, evergreen , hermaphroditic or andromonoecious, unarmed . Leaves palmately compound , rarely unifoliolate (not in China), margins entire to serrate; stipules united within petiole . Inflorescence a terminal or pseudo-lateral panicle or compound raceme ; flowers arranged in umbels, heads , or racemes; bracts pubescent , deciduous or persistent . Pedicels not articulate below ovary. Calyx rim entire or 5-toothed. Petals 5-11, valvate . Stamens 5-11. Ovary (4 or) 5-11-carpellate; styles partly or completely united into a column or stigmas sessile. Fruit a drupe, globose or ovoid . Seeds (4 or) 5-11, laterally compressed ; endosperm uniform or slightly ruminate .

Nearly 1100 species: widely distributed in tropics and subtropics of both hemispheres; 35 species (14 endemic) in SW and SE China.

Several recent phylogenetic studies have shown that Schefflera is clearly polyphyletic (Lowry et al. , S. Afr. J. Bot. 70: 382-392. 2004; Plunkett et al., Pl. Syst. Evol. 245: 1-39. 2004; Plunkett et al., Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 92: 202-224. 2005) and that the Asian species belong to a single, well-supported, morphologically coherent clade. The name Schefflera will ultimately have to be restricted to a small group of species from the SW Pacific while the Asian species will have to be transferred to one or more other genera.[2]

Physical Description

Biology

Growth

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Light Shade.

Moisture: Drought Tolerance: High

Taxonomy

Synonyms

Aralia schefflera Spreng. • Schefflera cunninghamii Miq.

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Last scrutiny: 11-Nov-2003

Similar Species

Members of the genus Schefflera

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 15 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

S. actinophylla (Australian Ivy Palm) · S. actinophylla 'Nova' (Schefflera) · S. actinophylla 'Renegade' (Renegade Schefflera) · S. arboricola (Abicola) · S. attenuata (Aralie Montagne) · S. delavayi (Schefflera) · S. digitata (Patete Seven-Finger) · S. elegantissima (False Aralia) · S. emarginata (Schefflera) · S. gleasonii (Yuquilla) · S. heptaphylla (Common Schefflera) · S. morototoni (Mountain Trumpet) · S. morototonii (Matchwood) · S. pueckleri (Mallet Flower) · S. urbaniana (Aralie)

More Info

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Further Reading

• A general history of the dichlamydeous plants, comprising complete descriptions of the different orders; together with the characters of the genera and species, and an enumeration of the cultivated varieties. .. the scientific names accentuated, t By George Don. London, J.G. and F. Rivington [etc.]1831-38. url p. 389.
• An enumeration of Philippine flowering plants, Manila, Bureau of Printing, 1922-26. url p. 227, p. 232.
• Annals of natural history. London, R. and J.E. Taylor, url p. 213, p. 213.
• Britton, N. L. (ed.). North American flora. [New York]New York Botanical Garden. url p. 25.
• Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). London: The Museum, 1951-1992. url p. 29.
• Flora Vitiensis nova: a new Flora of Fiji (spermatophytes only) / Albert C. Smith. Lawaii, Hawaii: Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden, 1979- url p. 648.
• Hooker, J. D. The botany of the Antarctic voyage of H.M. discovery ships Erebus and Terror in the Years 1839-1843: under the command of Captain Sir James Clark Ross /by Joseph Dalton Hooker. 2 1855 London: Reeve Brothers, 1844-60. url p. 372, p. 95.
• Illustrations of the New Zealand flora / edited by T.F. Cheeseman with the assistance of W.B. Hemsley; the plates drawn by Matilda Smith. Wellington: John Mackay, Govt. Printer, 1914. url p. 231.
• Johnson's Gardeners' dictionary and cultural instructor. London, A. T. De La Mare printing and publishing co., ltd.[1916] url p. 63.
• Journal of botany, British and foreign. 4 1866 London: Robert Hardwicke, 1863-1942. url p. 228.
• List of intercepted plant pests / United States Department of Agriculture, Plant Quarantine and Control Administration. [Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O.], 1932- url p. 36.
• Manual of the New Zealand flora. By T. F. Cheeseman. .. Wellington, N. Z., J. Mackay, Govt. Printer, 1906. url p. 1098, p. 1099, p. 1103, p. 232.
• New Zealand nature notes. Short sketches of the geology, botany, zoology, and ethnology of New Zealand (with notes on engineering-works) for the use of members of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, We Wellington, W.Z.G. Skinner, Govt. Print., 1922. url p. 55.
• Plants of New Zealand / Christchurch: Whitcombe and Tombs, 1906. url , , .
• Plants of New Zealand, by R. M. Laing and E. W. Blackwell. Christchurch: Whitcombe and Tombs, Ltd., 1906. url p. 151, p. 312, p. 313.
• Plants of New Zealand, by R.M. Laing, and E.W. Blackwell. Christchurch, Wellington, and Dunedin, N.Z. [etc.]Whitcombe and Tombs, 1907. url p. 151, p. 233, p. 312, p. 313, p. xii.
• The Ecology of arboreal folivores: a symposium held at the Conservation and Research Center, National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution, May 29-31, 1975 / Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1978. url p. 276, p. 277, p. 278, p. 279, p. 292, p. 294, p. 296, p. 298.
• The Emu: official organ of the Australasian Ornithologists' Union. Melbourne: Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union, 1901- url p. 4.
• The Gardeners' chronicle: a weekly illustrated journal of horticulture and allied subjects. London: [Gardeners Chronicle], 1874-1955. url p. 169.
• The Journal of the Linnean Society. Botany. 10 1869 London: the Society: Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts & Green: ||Williams and Norgate, 1865-1968. url p. 59, p. 67.
• The naturalisation of animals & plants in New Zealand, Cambridge [Eng.]University Press, 1922. url , .
• The students' flora of New Zealand and the outlying islands. Wellington, N. Z., John Mackay, govt. printer[1899] url .
• The subantarctic islands of New Zealand. Reports on the geo-physics, geology, zoology, and botany of the islands lying to the south of New Zealand, based mainly on observatiohs and collections made during an expedition in the government stea Ed. by Chas. Chilton. Pub. by the Philosophical institute of Canterbury. Wellington, N.Z., Printed by J. Mackay, govt. printer, 1909. url p. 203.
• Transactions and proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. Wellington: New Zealand Institute. url , , p. 122, p. 152, p. 165, p. 18, p. 193, p. 203, p. 217, p. 219, p. 22, p. 228, p. 233, p. 243, p. 243, p. 245, p. 245, p. 261, p. 265, p. 277, p. 281, p. 281, p. 286, p. 309, p. 330, p. 339, p. 359, p. 366, p. 367, p. 370, p. 374, p. 376, p. 393, p. 397, p. 411, p. 415, p. 424, p. 45, p. 512, p. 521, p. 584, p. 77, p. 869, p. 90, p. 93, p. 95, p. 95, p. 99, p. 99.
• Vernacular list of trees, shrubs, and woody climbers in the Madras Presidency. Madras, Printed by the Superintendant, Government Press, 1915. url p. 473, p. 795, p. 900.
• Zoologist. London.1843-1916 url p. 4261.
• Hoo Gin & Tseng Chang-jiang. 1978. Araliaceae. Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 54: i-ix, 1-210.

Notes

Contributors

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2007. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed March 28, 2007.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed March 27, 2012.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed February 29, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from provider.
• Ruggiero M., Gordon D., Bailly N., Kirk P., Nicolson D. (2011). The Catalogue of Life Taxonomic Classification, Edition 2, Part A. In: Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2011 Annual Checklist (Bisby F.A., Roskov Y.R., Orrell T.M., Nicolson D., Paglinawan L.E., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., Baillargeon G., Ouvrard D., eds). DVD; Species 2000: Reading, UK.
• The International Plant Names Index. Accessed Jan 19, 2007.
• World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Release date: November 27, 2009

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 5860711
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Kew-187172
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 14237622
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:92043-1
• International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 92041-1
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 606905

Footnotes

1. Qibai Xiang & Porter P. Lowry "Araliaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 435. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
2. "Schefflera". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 435, 436, 437, 438, 454. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]

©2004-2012 David Stang. All rights reserved.