球序鹅掌柴 qiu xu e zhang chai

Schefflera glomerulata H. L. Li.

Trees to ca. 9 m tall, sometimes scandent shrubs to 15 m tall, hermaphroditic. Petiole 10-20 cm; petiolules 2-5 cm; leaflets (3-)5-7, ovate to elliptic or obovate, 8-20 × 3-9 cm, leathery, both surfaces glabrous, secondary veins ca. 8 pairs, tertiary veins prominent, raised on both surfaces, base cuneate, margin entire, apex shortly acuminate. Inflorescence a terminal panicle of heads, sparsely stellate tomentose, glabrescent; primary axis 5-35 cm; secondary axes to (15-)20 cm; flowers sessile or subsessile, 5-8 per head. Calyx ca. 1 mm, subentire. Ovary 5-carpellate; stigmas 5, sessile, inconspicuous. Fruit ovoid to subglobose or obovoid, 3-5 mm in diam., 5-ribbed when dry; disk conic-pentagonal. Fl. May, Jun, Sep, fr. Jun, Jul, Sep-Dec.

Evergreen broad-leaved forests in valleys or on mountain slopes; 200-1700 m. Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, SE Yunnan [India, Laos, Vietnam].

This species is used medicinally.