Heptapleurum bodinieri H. Léveillé, Bull. Acad. Int. Géogr. Bot. 24: 144. 1914; Agalma lutchuense Nakai; A. octophyllum (Loureiro) Seemann; Aralia octophylla Loureiro; Eleutherococcus bodinieri H. Léveillé; Schefflera compacta Frodin ex Lauener.

Shrubs or small trees, to 12 m tall, andromonoecious. Petiole 3.5-25 cm; petiolules 0.4-5(-6) cm; leaflets 5-9(-11), ovate-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, rarely ovate to elliptic, 8-12(-18) × 1-4.5(-5.5) cm, membranous or papery, abaxially glabrous or sparsely minutely stellate pubescent, adaxially glabrous, secondary veins ca. 10 pairs, inconspicuous to slightly raised on both surfaces, base cuneate or broadly cuneate to rounded, margin entire or usually sparsely to moderately serrulate, apex acuminate to caudate-acuminate, sometimes falcate. Inflorescence a terminal panicle of umbels, gray or brown pubescent; primary axis 4-16(-20) cm, secondary axes 1.5-7 cm, with a terminal umbel of bisexual flowers and sometimes 1(or 2) lateral umbels of male flowers; pedicels 4-7 mm at anthesis, to 8 mm in fruit. Calyx sparsely gray-white stellate pubescent. Ovary 5-carpellate; styles united into a column, ca. 1 mm. Fruit subglobose to ellipsoid or ovoid, 4-7 × 4-6 mm; styles persistent, minutely capitate, to 1.5-3.5 mm. Fl. Oct-Nov, fr. Feb, Apr.

Dense forests on slopes or in valleys; 400-1000 m. Guangxi, Guizhou, W Hubei, Sichuan, Yunnan [Vietnam].