ARALIACEAE
Morphological description
Plants aromatic; woody, sometimes a climber (Acanthopanax); stems resinous, with thick pith. Plants sometimes spiny (Acanthopanax, Acanthophora, Brassaiopsis, Harmsiopanax, Trevesia).
Leaves
Leaves spiral, petiole with ligule, leaves compound. Petiole sometimes with crests at base (Osmoxylon [Boerlagiodendron]). Leaves bipinnate in Aralia, and some Polyscias).
Inflorescence
Ultimate branch of inflorescence an umbel, inflorescence usually terminal.
Flowers
Sepals absent or small, petals free, caducous, large disk; ovary inferior.
Fruits
Fruit a drupe, 1-many-carpellate, one seed in each pyrene. Sometimes fruit 2-carpellate, flat (Mackinlaya).
Seeds
Seeds with ruminate endosperm.
Different from: Umbelliferae: never woody in Malesia, fruit a 2-carpellate schizocarp. — Cornaceae: leaves opposite, always simple, not ligulate, flowers not in umbels.
Distribution: The family widespread, both in temperate zone and in the tropics, there often montane. In Malesia 17 genera, mostly in rain forest, incl.: - Osmoxylon (mainly Malesia, east to Vanuatu), shrubs, treelets, rain forest; - Polyscias (paleotropics), shrubs, trees, lowland rain forest, secondary forest; - Schefflera (pantropical, extending to warm temperate zone), shrubs, trees, epiphytes, both lowland and montane rain forest.
Notes: Leaves edible: some Osmoxylon and Polyscias. — Ornamentals: some Polyscias and Schefflera. — Medicinal: Panax* (Ginseng).
Literature: W.R. Philipson, Fl. Males. I, 9 (1979) 1-105. — Dr. D.G. Frodin (K) is revising Schefflera.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): All or most Araliaceae: resinous exudate (p.p.), stipules clasping (p.p.), leaf with domatia (p.p.), leaf margin dentate/ serrate (p.p.), flowers 3-merous (p.p.), style long forked (not double) (p.p.), ovary inferior, ruminate endosperm (p.p.) – Some taxa: Cushion forming plants: Trachymene (p.p.) – Schopfbaume: some taxa, e.g., Anakasia, Arthrophyllum, Gastonia, Harmsiopanax, Meryta, Osmoxylon (p.p.), Schefflera (p.p.), Trevesia (p.p.) – Armed plants: Aralia, Brassaiopsis, Eleutherococcus (Acanthopanax), Harmsiopanax, Polyscias mollis, Trevesia – Resinous exudate: some taxa, e.g., Schefflera – Crushed leaves smell of fenugreek: Polyscias – Crushed leaves with turpentine-like smell: Schefflera – Clasping stipules: some taxa, e.g., Osmoxylon, Schefflera, Trevesia – Petiole swollen apically: Osmoxylon - Rachis with swollen nodes: Aralia, Arthrophyllum, Gastonia, Polyscias (p.p.) – Dicots with large leaves: Anakasia, Brassaiopsis (p.p.), Harmsiopanax, Meryta (p.p.), Osmoxylon (p.p.), Trevesia (p.p.) – Leaves digitately compound: Eleutherococcus (Acanthopanax), Brassaiopsis, Macropanax, Osmoxylon (p.p.), Schefflera (p.p.), Trevesia - Leaves 2-,3- (or 4-)pinnate: Aralia, Arthrophyllum, Heteropanax, Polyscias (p.p.), Schefflera (p.p.) – Leaves peltate: Harmsiopanax (p.p.), Hydrocotyle – Dentate/serrate leaf margin: some taxa, e.g., Polyscias, Harmsiopanax – Stellate hairs: Osmoxylon (p.p.), Schefflera (p.p.), Tetrapanax – Bullate leaves: Schefflera (p.p.) - Leaf with domatia: Aralia - Leaf with dots: Dendropanax borneensis – Cystoliths: some taxa, e.g., Schefflera - Monocarpic plants (death after flowering): Harmsiopanax – Cauliflorous: Schefflera (p.p.) - Inflorescence compact (in a head): Anakasia, Meryta, Schefflera (p.p.) – Trimerous ‘dicots’: Osmoxylon – Long forked style: some taxa, e.g., Harmsiopanax – Fruit compound: Anakasia, Meryta, Osmoxylon, Schefflera (p.p.) –
Illustrations: Fig. 12. Arthrophyllum diversifolium Blume, X Fig. 13. W.R. Philipson, Fl. Males. I, 9 (1979) 1-105.
Image in PhytoImages for Araliaceae