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Species
Schefflera actinophylla (Endl.) H.A.T. Harms
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
Evergreen tree to 10 m. Stems usually simple, little branched. Leaves large, 60 - 130 cm long, palmate; leaflets c. 7-16, 10-30 cm long, glossy, dark green, radiating from the apex of the petiole. Inflorescence umbellate, consisting of divergent racemes standing out above the foliage. Flowers red. Fruits purplish-red.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings, Flora of Zimbabwe |
Source | http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/cult/species.php?species_id=164850 |
More info for the terms: breeding system, tree
Queensland, Australia
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings, Flora of Zimbabwe |
Source | http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/cult/species.php?species_id=164850 |
More info on this topic.
More info for the term: phanerophyte
Raunkiaer [41] life form:
Phanerophyte
United States
Origin: Exotic
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Unknown/Undetermined
Confidence: Confident
More info for the term: tree
Tree
More info for the terms: natural, nonnative species, tree
Octopus tree is a nonnative species in central and southern Florida and all of the main Hawaiian islands. It is native to New Guinea and Queensland, Australia, but in Queensland, it is native only north of the Tropic of Capricorn [5,40,60]. Although octopus tree occurs at least as far north as Brevard and Pinellas counties in Florida [32], it is most common in southeastern Florida and the Florida Keys [28,37]. In Hawaii, octopus tree was first reported on the island of Molokai in 2000, but by this time, it was well known on Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii islands [47]. Major octopus tree infestations occur in the Limahali Valley on Kauai and the Nuuanu and Waiahole Valleys on Oahu [46]. Plants Database provides a map of octopus tree's distribution.
In Florida and Hawaii, octopus tree was introduced as an ornamental on multiple occasions [21,56]. In Hawaii, octopus tree was also likely planted during reforestation efforts [59]. It was first introduced in Hawaii in 1900 [33] and in the contiguous states in 1927 [36]. Octopus tree was first reported outside of cultivation in Miami-Dade County in Florida (review by [3]). As of 1996, the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council reported octopus tree in 28 designated natural areas that occurred in Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Brevard, Collier, and Pinellas counties [32]. As of 1997, octopus tree occurred in 44% of the preserves in southern Florida [6].
More info for the term: tree
This description covers characteristics that may be relevant to fire ecology and is not meant for identification. Keys for identification are available (e.g., [56,62]).
Octopus tree is a small, fast-growing evergreen tree with single or multiple bare trunks and few stout branches [32,33,46]. An octopus tree in Florida grew with a single main stem for many years, but once the stem was broken the tree produced 6 large trunks [36]. Trees may reach 40 feet (12 m) tall, and the irregular crowns may spread 15 feet (5 m) [15,56]. Trees can grow as epiphytes, especially when young [61]. Octopus tree produces very large, alternate, palmately compound leaves comprised of 5 to 18 droopy leaflets. The entire leaf, including leaf stalks and leaflets, can be 3 feet (0.9 m) long. The central leaflet is longest and may reach 12 inches (30 cm) long [33,56]. Head flowers that measure 1 inch (2.5 cm) across occur along stiff, crowded stalks that are 16 to 35 inches (40-90 cm) long and resemble octopus tentacles [32,33,56,62]. Flowers are typically restricted to trees in full sun conditions. Octopus tree produces clusters of fleshy drupes with 10 to 12 seeds [33,56]. In a tropical lowland rain forest in Queensland seeds averaged 2.7 mg when dry [18].