Schefflera
Schefflera is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae, comprising approximately 600 species of mostly evergreen trees, shrubs, and lianas distributed throughout tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, the southwest Pacific, the Neotropics, Malaysia, and Madagascar.[1] Commonly known as umbrella trees or umbrella plants for their distinctive whorled or digitate compound leaves that radiate from the petiole like the ribs of an open umbrella, many species feature palmately arranged leaflets numbering from 3 to over 20, with small, inconspicuous flowers clustered in umbels or compound panicles, and followed by fleshy, berry-like drupes.[2][1] The genus, named after the 18th-century German physician and botanist Johann Peter Ernst von Scheffler, was traditionally the largest in Araliaceae and has significant ornamental value, with species such as Heptapleurum actinophyllum (formerly Schefflera actinophylla) and Heptapleurum arboricola (formerly Schefflera arboricola) widely cultivated as durable houseplants in temperate regions.[3][4] However, recent phylogenetic analyses have demonstrated that Schefflera sensu lato (s.l.)—the traditional broad circumscription—is polyphyletic, encompassing at least five unrelated clades and prompting the transfer of hundreds of species to segregate genera including Heptapleurum, Plerandra, and Sciadophyllum; consequently, Schefflera sensu stricto (s.s.) is now restricted to around 13 species primarily endemic to New Zealand and the southwestern Pacific islands.[2][5] Beyond horticulture, numerous species formerly placed in Schefflera play roles in traditional medicine across their native habitats, employed for treating conditions such as rheumatism, pain, trauma, liver disorders, skin ailments, respiratory infections, diarrhea, malaria, and even cancer, with phytochemical studies revealing bioactive compounds like triterpenoids, flavonoids, and essential oils.[1] Ecologically, these plants often inhabit rainforests, montane forests, and disturbed areas, contributing to biodiversity in humid tropics, though some, like Heptapleurum actinophyllum (formerly S. actinophylla), have become invasive weeds in introduced ranges such as northern Australia and parts of the United States.[3][2]Taxonomy
Etymology
The genus name Schefflera is pronounced /ˈʃɛflərə/[6]. It was established in 1776 by the botanists Johann Reinhold Forster and Georg Forster in their publication Characteres Generum Plantarum, honoring Johann Peter Ernst von Scheffler (1739–c. 1809), a German physician and botanist based in Gdańsk who contributed plant specimens to regional floras such as Gottfried Reyger's Tentamen Florae Gedanensis[2][7]. The Forsters proposed the name during their documentation of plants collected on Captain James Cook's second voyage to the South Seas, reflecting Scheffler's contemporary influence in European botany despite his work being centered in northern Europe[2].Taxonomic History
The genus Schefflera was first described in 1776 by Johann Reinhold Forster and George Forster, based on specimens of S. digitata collected during James Cook's second voyage to the Pacific, specifically from New Zealand.[2] This initial circumscription was narrow, encompassing only a few species with palmately compound leaves and simple umbellate inflorescences characteristic of the type.[8] During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the genus underwent significant expansion through broad interpretations by taxonomists such as Henri Baillon (1878–1879), who incorporated segregate genera like Agalma, Brassaia, and Heptapleurum, and Hermann Harms (1894–1897), who formalized subsections such as Euschefflera and Cephaloschefflera.[2] By the mid-20th century, David Frodin (1975) further consolidated the taxonomy, reducing many segregates and proposing 16 informal groups, which contributed to an inflated estimate of over 600 species distributed pantropically by the late 20th century.[8] This wide circumscription reflected morphological similarities in leaf and inflorescence structure but overlooked underlying evolutionary divergences.[2] The polyphyletic nature of Schefflera sensu lato began to emerge in the 1990s through morphological analyses highlighting inconsistencies in traditional groupings, but it was definitively demonstrated in the early 2000s using molecular data.[9] Phylogenetic studies by Plunkett et al. (2004, published 2005) analyzed nuclear ITS and plastid trnL-trnF sequences from over 100 species, revealing Schefflera as embedded within five distinct, non-monophyletic clades scattered across the Araliaceae family, corresponding roughly to southwest Pacific, Neotropical, Asian/Malesian, African/Malagasy, and a core Australasian group.[9] Subsequent work by Plunkett et al. (2018) refined these findings with expanded sampling and multi-locus data, confirming the deep polyphyly and aligning clades more closely with biogeographic patterns than morphology alone.[10] These insights prompted major taxonomic revisions from the 2000s onward to achieve monophyletic genera. In the Pacific clade, species were reassigned to Plerandra (Lowry et al., 2013), accommodating about 20 New Caledonian endemics previously under Schefflera.[11] For the Asian and American clade, including popular houseplants like S. arboricola, the genus Heptapleurum was resurrected in 2020 to include over 300 species, emphasizing tricarpellate ovaries and palmate leaves as synapomorphies. In the Neotropics, the Didymopanax group—comprising 37 species with bicarpellate gynoecia—was formally resurrected as Didymopanax Decne. & Planch. in 2020, marking a significant post-2010 shift from the broader Schefflera concept.[12] These reclassifications, building on Plunkett's phylogenetic framework, have reduced Schefflera sensu stricto to around 13 Australasian species while addressing longstanding taxonomic instability.[13]Current Classification
Schefflera is classified within the subfamily Aralioideae of the family Araliaceae, order Apiales.[5][14] Molecular phylogenetic analyses place the genus in the Australasian clade of Aralioideae.[9] Following extensive taxonomic revisions, Schefflera is now restricted to 13 accepted species, all endemic to Australasia and the southwestern Pacific (including New Zealand, Fiji, New Caledonia, Samoa, and Vanuatu), excluding former broad tropical elements reassigned to other genera. As of November 2025, Plants of the World Online accepts 13 species in the genus.[5] These boundaries were established through initial generic splits proposed by Frodin in his 2004 world checklist of Araliaceae, which highlighted the polyphyly of the traditional circumscription. Subsequent work by Lowry et al. in 2020 reassigned Neotropical species to resurrected genera such as Didymopanax and Sciodaphyllum, further refining the scope.[13] No significant alterations to this classification have occurred since 2023, as reflected in updated floras and databases like Plants of the World Online.[5]Description
Habit and Morphology
Schefflera plants are evergreen shrubs or small trees up to 10 m in height, typically with an unarmed woody architecture and multiple stems arising from the base, contributing to a bushy or spreading silhouette in mature individuals. The bark is smooth and greenish in younger stems, becoming fissured and grayish-brown in older growth.[2][15] Stems are erect, cylindrical to slightly angled, with prominent raised leaf scars marking former petioles, giving branches a ringed appearance. Larger tree forms may produce shallow buttresses at the base for stability.[16] The leaves are arranged alternately along the stems in a palmately compound configuration radiating outward like an umbrella, typically comprising 5-12 digitate leaflets per leaf. These leaflets are leathery, measuring 5-15 cm in length and 2-5 cm in width, with toothed margins and a glossy dark green upper surface. Petioles are robust, 10-30 cm long, with sheathing bases, and leaves often form rosette-like clusters at branch tips.[16][2][15]Flowers, Fruits, and Reproduction
The flowers of Schefflera species are small, typically unisexual (with some species dioecious), measuring 3–5 mm in diameter, with a greenish-white coloration. They are arranged in terminal or axillary umbels forming compound panicles up to 30 cm in length. Each flower features 5 sepals that are reduced and triangular, 5 free petals, and an equal number of stamens inserted on a short hypanthium surrounding a semi-inferior ovary with 5 locules.[17][18][15] Pollination occurs primarily through insects. Flowering is seasonal in native ranges.[19] The fruits are globose drupes, approximately 4–6 mm in diameter, ripening to black and containing 5 stony pyrenes, each enclosing a single seed. Fruits are dispersed primarily by birds.[18][20][15]Distribution and Habitat
Geographic Range
Schefflera species are native to New Zealand and various islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, reflecting the genus's restriction to an Australo-Pacific clade following recent taxonomic revisions. In New Zealand, the genus is represented by species such as S. digitata, which is endemic and widespread across the North Island, South Island, and [Stewart Island](/page/Stewart Island).[15][5] The native distribution extends to subtropical and temperate Pacific regions, including Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia, where the 13 accepted species are primarily confined, with several endemics in New Caledonia.[21][5] This range underscores the genus's concentration in isolated island ecosystems, with no native occurrences beyond these areas in the current classification.[21] Some Schefflera species have been introduced sparingly as ornamentals in climatically similar regions, such as parts of Australia and Hawaii, though none have become widespread invasives within the restricted genus.[21] Fossil records from Miocene strata indicate a historically broader distribution across eastern and southeastern Asia and the Pacific, extending the genus's ancient range beyond its modern limits.[2]Ecological Preferences
Schefflera species predominantly inhabit moist, well-drained soils within lowland to montane rainforests, typically at elevations ranging from 0 to 1500 meters, where they often occupy understory positions or edges of the canopy.[22] These environments provide the humid, shaded conditions favored by the genus, with some species extending into swamp forests, scrub, thickets, and disturbed areas across subtropical and temperate regions.[19] The genus exhibits notable tolerances to varying light levels, thriving in shade to partial sun, which suits their role as understory plants with leathery leaves adapted for low-light persistence. Temperature tolerances vary by species; for instance, Schefflera digitata withstands moderate frosts down to approximately -10°C in its native New Zealand habitats, while species from tropical Pacific islands prefer warmer conditions. Many are wind-resistant due to sturdy branching and can grow as epiphytes or lithophytes, enhancing their adaptability to rocky or arboreal substrates. Ecologically, Schefflera acts as a pioneer species in forest gaps, facilitating regeneration by stabilizing soil and providing initial cover, while offering habitat and nectar for epiphytes, insects, and birds; their fruits are primarily dispersed by avian frugivores such as parrots and pigeons.[23][22] Major threats to Schefflera include habitat loss from logging, mining, agriculture, and fires—exacerbated by climate change-induced droughts—as well as competition from invasive species in altered ecosystems. While IUCN assessments are limited for most species, some Pacific island endemics are Data Deficient due to lack of recent observations.[19]Species Diversity
Accepted Species
The genus Schefflera is currently recognized as comprising 13 accepted species, following recent taxonomic revisions that restricted it to a monophyletic clade endemic to the southwestern Pacific region. These species exhibit high endemism, with distributions confined to isolated island groups such as New Caledonia (hosting the majority), Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, and New Zealand (with a single species). They are typically evergreen trees or shrubs with palmate compound leaves, adapted to humid, forested habitats, and distinguished by variations in leaflet number, margin type, and inflorescence structure.[5]- Schefflera balansana Baill.: This tree is endemic to New Caledonia, where it inhabits wet tropical forests; it is characterized by palmate leaves with 5–7 oblong leaflets that have entire margins and a tree habit reaching up to 10 m tall.[24]
- Schefflera candelabrum Baill.: Native exclusively to New Caledonia, this species forms trees in humid tropical environments and is notable for its robust, candelabra-branched habit and compound leaves with 7–9 broadly elliptic leaflets.
- Schefflera coenosa (R.Vig.) Frodin: Endemic to southeastern New Caledonia, including the Isle of Pines, it is a tree of wet tropical biomes distinguished by densely clustered inflorescences and leaves with 5–7 lanceolate leaflets.
- Schefflera digitata J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.: The sole species in New Zealand, occurring throughout both main islands in lowland to montane forests up to 1200 m; it is a small tree up to 10 m tall with distinctive palmate leaves bearing 7–10 serrate-margined leaflets.[25][15]
- Schefflera euthytricha A.C.Sm.: Restricted to Fiji, this tree grows in wet tropical forests and features straight-stalked (euthytrichous) pedicels supporting umbellate inflorescences, with leaves comprising 7–11 elliptic leaflets.[26]
- Schefflera kerchoveana (Veitch ex W.Richards) Frodin & Lowry: Endemic to New Caledonia, it is a shrubby tree in tropical wet habitats, recognized by its finely pubescent branches and leaves with 5–7 ovate leaflets that are glabrous above.[5]
- Schefflera leratii R.Vig.: Native to New Caledonia, this species inhabits humid forests as a tree with slender branches; it is distinguished by its elongated racemose inflorescences and leaves having 7–9 narrowly elliptic leaflets with acute tips.
- Schefflera neoebudica Guillaumin: Found only on Vanuatu (New Hebrides), it is a tree of wet tropical biomes featuring robust stems and compound leaves with 5–7 obovate leaflets that are prominently veined.[27]
- Schefflera ouveana (Däniker) Frodin: Endemic to the Loyalty Islands of New Caledonia, this tree occurs in coastal wet forests and is characterized by its salt-tolerant habit, with leaves of 5–7 coriaceous, elliptic leaflets.
- Schefflera pseudocandelabrum R.Vig.: Restricted to New Caledonia, it grows as a tree in tropical rainforests, resembling S. candelabrum but differing in its less branched inflorescences and leaves with 7–9 slightly toothed leaflets.[5]
- Schefflera samoensis Rehd.: Native to Samoa and nearby Pacific islands, this species is a canopy tree in wet montane forests, notable for its large panicles and leaves with 9–13 long-acuminate leaflets.
- Schefflera vieillardii (Baill.) R.Vig.: Endemic to New Caledonia, it is a tree of ultramafic soils in humid areas, distinguished by its villous indumentum on young parts and leaves with 5–7 broadly ovate, tomentose leaflets.
- Schefflera vitiensis (Seem.) R.Vig.: Confined to Fiji (Viti Levu), this tree inhabits ridge forests in wet tropics and features compact umbels with leaves comprising 7–9 elliptic-oblong leaflets that are glabrous and leathery.