Schefflera is a genus in the flowering plant family Araliaceae. The plants are trees, shrubs or lianas growing 1-30 m tall, with woody stems and palmately compound leaves.

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. Generic names currently treated in synonymy in this broad view include Brassaia, Didymopanax, Dizygotheca, Heptapleurum, Neocussonia, Paratropia, Plerandra, Tupidanthus.

Selected species

• Schefflera actinophylla (syn. Brassaia actinophylla)
• Schefflera arboricola (syn. Heptapleurum arboricolum)
• Schefflera bractescens
• Schefflera delavayi
• Schefflera digitata
• Schefflera elegantissima (syn. Dizygotheca elegantissima)
• Schefflera elliptica
• Schefflera heptaphylla
• Schefflera kerchoveiana
• Schefflera littorea (syn. Brassaia littorea)
• Schefflera longifolia
• Schefflera morototoni (syn. Didymopanax morototoni)
• Schefflera octostyla
• Schefflera panamensis
• Schefflera pubens
• Schefflera pubigera
• Schefflera pueckleri (syn. Tupidanthus pueckleri)
• Schefflera robusta
• Schefflera rodriguesiana
• Schefflera rotundifolia (syn. Paratropia rotundifolia)
• Schefflera roxburghii
• Schefflera sciadophyllum
• Schefflera seibertii
• Schefflera sphaerocoma
• Schefflera systyla
• Schefflera tomentosa
• Schefflera tremula
• Schefflera umbellifera (syn. Neocussonia umbellifera)
• Schefflera urbaniana
• Schefflera veitchii (syn. Dizygotheca veitchii)
• Schefflera venulosa

Cultivation and uses

Several species are grown in pots as houseplants. Numerous cultivars have been selected for various characters, most popularly for variegated or purple foliage.

References

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• Frodin, D. G. and R. Govaerts. 2004. World Checklist and Bibliography of Araliaceae. Kew Publishing.

Apiales

Schefflera | Schefflera