密脉鹅掌柴 mi mai e zhang chai

Sciodaphyllum ellipticum Blume, Bijdr. 878. 1826; Hedera venosa Wallich; Paratropia pubigera Brogniart & Planchon; Schefflera fukienensis Merrill; S. pubicera (Brogniart & Planchon) Frodin.

Shrubs or small trees, to 10 m tall, sometimes scandent or epiphytic. Petiole 4-14(-18) cm; petiolules 2-5 cm; leaflets 5-7, elliptic to oblong or obovate, 11-16(-26) × 4-6(-16) cm, leathery, both surfaces glabrous, secondary veins 5 or 6(-20) pairs, tertiary veins raised, prominent, base attenuate or obtuse to nearly rounded, margin entire, minutely thickened, sometimes revolute, apex acuminate to acute. Inflorescence a terminal panicle of umbels, sparsely to densely stellate when young, glabrescent; primary axis (2-)4-20(-30) cm; secondary axes to 18 cm; peduncles 0.5-1.5 cm; pedicels 2-3 mm. Calyx obscure. Ovary 5-carpellate; stigmas 5, sessile. Fruit ovoid to ellipsoid or subglobose, 3-4 mm, 5-ribbed when dry; disk broadly conic to pyramidal. Fl. Mar-Jul, fr. Feb-Jul, Oct.

Evergreen broad-leaved forests in valleys, or epiphytic on trees; 900-2100 m. Guangxi, Guizhou, W Hunan, Xizang, Yunnan [India, Thailand, Vietnam].

The name Schefflera venulosa (Wight & Arnott) Harms (Paratropia venulosa Wight & Arnott) has been misapplied to this species.

Schefflera elliptica is used medicinally.