Aralia franchetii J. Wen; Pentapanax henryi var. fangii G. Hoo; P. henryi var. tomentosus G. Hoo; P. henryi var. wangshanensis W. C. Cheng; P. lanceolatus G. Hoo; P. tomentellus (Franchet) C. B. Shang var. tomentosus (G. Hoo) Y. F. Deng.

Shrubs or small trees to 8 m tall, andromonoecious. Leaves 1-pinnately compound; petiole 8-15(-25) cm; petiolules 2-8 cm; leaflets (3-)5, ovate to elliptic, 7-20 × 4-11 cm, papery, abaxially glabrous with small tufts of pubescence in axils of veins, adaxially glabrous, secondary veins 8-12 pairs, abaxially more distinct, tertiary veins indistinct, base rounded or obtuse, rarely subcordate, margin sharply serrate to serrulate, apex acute or shortly acuminate. Inflorescence a terminal panicle of umbels, reddish brown pubescent; primary axis 15-30 cm; secondary axes 18-25, each 4.5-11 cm, with a terminal umbel of bisexual flowers and up to ca. 8 lateral umbels of apparently male flowers. Ovary 5-carpellate; styles united into a column, sometimes divided at apex. Fruit globose, 4-5(-6) mm in diam.; styles persistent. Fl. Aug-Oct, fr. Sep-Dec.

This species was included within Aralia tomentella (Pentapanax tomentellus) by Frodin and Govaerts (World Checklist Bibliogr. Araliaceae, 75. 2004 ["2003"]), but is now recognized as distinct by J. Wen (pers. comm. to P. Lowry).

● Scrub lands, cliffs, rocky slopes; 1000-3000 m. Anhui, Guangxi, Hubei, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Zhejiang.