Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Campanulids: Apiales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Heptapleurum actinophyllum
FAMILY
Araliaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Schefflera actinophylla
FAMILY
Araliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Schefflera actinophylla
COMMON NAME:
Australian Umbrella Tree, Octopus Tree, Schefflera
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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Forest and Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org bug_5290038
Month Unknown
Dense, 1-2' long clusters of deep red flowers radiate from each branch tip, per Invasive Plants, Guide to Identification, Impacts and Control (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2007).
)
Forest and Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org bug_5290039
Month Unknown
Leaflets radiate out like the spokes of an umbrella, per Invasive Plants, Guide to Identification, Impacts and Control (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2007).
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Forest and Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org bug_5290059
Month Unknown
)
Forest and Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org bug_5290063
Month Unknown
)
Steve Hurst, USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, Bugwood.org bug_5308090
Month Unknown
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Heptapleurum actinophyllum
FAMILY
Araliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Schefflera actinophylla
FAMILY
Araliaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Schefflera actinophylla
1337
Tree
Perennial
Habitat: In a wide variety of disturbed sites, invasive in hammocks, pine rocklands, pine flatwoods, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Australia, New Guinea, Java
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
This plant may be causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:
LEAVES:
Evergreen
Palmately compound: 7-16 leaflets
Alternate
Petioles 15-60cm long
FLOWER:
Fall
Red
7-18 petals, usually 12
Stamens same number as petals
Inferior ovary
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Purple
Drupe
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Invasive Plants, Guide to Identification, Impacts and Control (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2007) p077
- Invasive Plants, Weeds of the Global Garden (Randall & Marinelli, 1996) p42
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".