Araliaceae
Ginseng Or Aralia Or Ivy Family
The Araliaceae family (Ginseng Or Aralia Or Ivy Family) is a botanical family placed in the order Apiales. In the SASYA catalogue it spans 14 species across 6 genera. Members range from trees to shrubs. Well-represented genera include Schefflera, Heptapleurum and Polyscias. Familiar examples include Australian Umbrella Tree, Dwarf Umbrella Tree and Whorled Marsh-Pennywort.
Browse all 14 species ↓
Alternate, often palmately lobed or compound leaves on trees, shrubs, or woody climbers; small flowers cluster into a compact umbel, much like their Apiaceae relatives, and ripen into a small berry.
Close relatives of the carrot family but woody rather than herbaceous; several genera (ginseng, Panax) are valued in traditional medicine for adaptogenic root compounds.
Which Araliaceae species is this?
Answer what you can see and narrow it down to a single Araliaceae species.
To check whether a plant belongs to Araliaceae, compare the leaf arrangement, leaf type, flower symmetry, fruit type, and one distinctive marker together. A single feature can mislead; the family pattern is the combination.
Learn the full family-identification methodTypical leaf characters
- ArrangementAlternate
- TypeVariable
- MarginVariable
- VenationVariable
Characters typical of the family — individual species can vary.
Typical flower & fruit
- Flower symmetryVariable
- InflorescenceUmbel
- FruitBerry
Typical of the family — flowering plants only; species can vary.
Notable members
Families that can look similar
Pittosporaceae
Compare against Pittosporaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare PittosporaceaeApiaceae
Compare against Apiaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare ApiaceaeSolanaceae
Compare against Solanaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare SolanaceaeAnnonaceae
Compare against Annonaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.
Compare AnnonaceaeAll 14 species in ARALIACEAE
- Australian Umbrella TreeHeptapleurum actinophyllum
- Dwarf Umbrella TreeHeptapleurum arboricola
- Whorled Marsh-PennywortHydrocotyle verticillata
- Miagos BushOsmoxylon lineare
- Shield AraliaPolyscias scutellaria
- Octopus TreeSchefflera actinophylla
- Fatshedera lizei
- Polyscias balfouriana
- Schefflera capitata
- Schefflera maduraiensis
- Schefflera rostrata
- Schefflera rostrata var. micrantha
- Schefflera stellata
- Schefflera venulosa
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