Biology:Schefflera actinophylla
| Schefflera actinophylla | |
|---|---|
_at_Hyderabad,_AP_W_283.jpg)
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| Schefflera actinophylla in Hyderabad, India | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Apiales |
| Family: | Araliaceae |
| Genus: | Schefflera |
| Species: | S. actinophylla
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| Binomial name | |
| Schefflera actinophylla (Endl.) Harms
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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Brassaia actinophylla Endl. | |
Schefflera actinophylla is a tree in the family Araliaceae. It is native to tropical rainforests and gallery forests in northern and north-eastern Queensland coasts and the Northern Territory of Australia , as well as New Guinea and Java. Common names include Australia umbrella tree, Queensland umbrella tree, octopus tree and amate.
Description
Schefflera actinophylla is an evergreen tree growing to 15 m (49 ft) tall. It has palmately compound medium green leaves in groups of seven leaflets. It is usually multi-trunked, and the flowers develop at the top of the tree. It often grows as a hemiepiphyte on other rainforest trees.[2] It produces racemes up to 2 m (6.5 ft) long containing up to 1,000 small red flowers. Flowering begins in early summer and typically continues for several months.
The specific epithet actinophylla means "with radiating leaves".[3]
Ecology
The up to 1,000 flowers produced by the plant generate large amounts of nectar, attracting nectar-eating birds that pollinate them. The fruits are eaten by many birds and animals including musky rat-kangaroos, red-legged pademelons and spectacled flying foxes.[4] Its leaves are a favourite food of the Bennett's tree-kangaroo.[5][6][7]
Cultivation
Schefflera actinophylla is commonly grown in mild to warm climates as a decorative tree in larger gardens and, when mature, it has red spikes of flowers with up to 20 racemes which develop in summer or early autumn. Propagation is by seed or cuttings. It prefers well-drained soil and only needs occasional watering and feeding to thrive. It is, however, an aggressive plant and its roots can dominate surrounding soil. In some areas (e.g., Florida and Hawaii, USA), it is an invasive weed and therefore planting is highly unadvised.[8]
With a minimum temperature of 13 °C (55 °F), juvenile specimens are grown in temperate regions as houseplants.[9] This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[10][11]
Gallery
Umbrella tree flowers
Tree canopy in Hyderabad, India
Tree in Kampala, Uganda
Schefflera actinophylla flowers
Rainbow lorikeets feeding on umbrella tree
Trunk in Hyderabad, India
Leaves in Hyderabad
Canopy in Hyderabad
Treein the Cooktown Botanic Gardens, Queensland
_fruits_or_flowers_at_tree_canopy_at_Hyderabad,_AP_W_281.jpg)
_trunk_at_Hyderabad,_AP_W_286.jpg)
_leaves_at_Hyderabad,_AP_W_285.jpg)
_canopy_at_Hyderabad,_AP_W_281.jpg)
Footnotes
- ↑ {{citation | mode = cs1 | title = Schefflera actinophylla | work = Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) | url = | publisher = [[Organization:Agricultural Research ServAgricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) | access-date = 2013-07-24 }}
- ↑ Martin (2005), p. 43.
- ↑ Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. pp. 224. ISBN 9781845337315.
- ↑ Beasley (2006).
- ↑ Pers. comm. Lewis Roberts OAM
- ↑ Martin (2005).
- ↑ Beasley (2009), p. 105.
- ↑ Hawaii's Most Invasive Horticultural Plants : octopus tree Schefflera actinophylla
- ↑ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. pp. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
- ↑ "RHS Plant Selector - Schefflera actinophylla". https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/16795/Schefflera-actinophylla/Details. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
- ↑ "AGM Plants - Ornamental". Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 95. https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
References
- Beasley, John. (2006). Plants of Tropical North Queensland: The Compact Guide. Footloose Publications, Kuranda, Australia. ISBN:1-876617-13-6.
- Beasley, John. (2009). Plants of Cape York: The Compact Guide. John Beasley, Kuranda, Qld., Australia. ISBN:978-0-9806863-0-2.
- Martin, Roger. 2005. Tree-kangaroos of Australia and New Guinea. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Vic., Australia. ISBN:0-643-09072-X.
External links
- Plantnet.rbgsyd: Detailed description of Schefflera actinophylla
- Hear.org: Schefflera actinophylla — with many images of Umbrella Trees
- Hear.org: information on Schefflera actinophylla as an invasive plant in Hawaii
Wikidata ☰ Q134943 entry
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