Schefflera aromatica

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Schefflera aromatica
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Apiales
Family: Araliaceae
Genus: Schefflera
Species:
S. aromatica
Binomial name
Schefflera aromatica
Synonyms[2]
  • Hedera aromatica Blume
  • Aralia aromatica (Blume) Blume
  • Agalma aromaticum (Blume) Seem.
  • Agalma horsfieldii (Miq.) Seem.
  • Heptapleurum confine (Miq.) Seem.
  • Paratropia aromatica (Blume) Miq.
  • Paratropia confinis Miq.
  • Paratropia horsfieldii Miq.
  • Schefflera confinis (Miq.) R.Vig.
  • Schefflera horsfieldii (Miq.) Harms

Schefflera aromatica is a shrub in the family Araliaceae which is found in Indonesia.[2][3]

Names[]

It is locally known as alngit by the people around Toba Lake in North Sumatra.[4] but the vernacular name simar ebe-ebe has also been recorded for it in another area of the same province.[5] In the Javanese language it is known as ki puyu.[6]

Description[]

This Schefflera is a shrub growing three to twelve metres in height. The young twigs are covered in a fine indumentum, later becoming covered in large lenticels as they age. The digitate leaves are spirally arranged on the branches, and have a petiole which is 16 to 55 cm in length, with stipules, and five to nine lobes (leaflets) with petiolules 3.5 to 12.5 cm in length. The petiole has lenticels at its base. The leaflets can be ovate, oblong or lanceolate in shape, are acutely acuminate, 12 to 27 cm in length and 4 to 9 cm in width, and are glabrous except at the midrib, which has a line of pubescent hairs along it on the upper side of the leaflet. The leaflets look somewhat reticulate due to numerous veins which are prominent on the underside. The margin (outline) of the leaflets is either entire or sinuously incised.[3]

The flowers are found in groups of 10 to 35 in an umbel at the very end of the branches of a large inflorescence, itself growing at the apices of branchlets. The inflorescence is subtended with large bracts. The main rachis of the inflorescence is 7 to 20 cm long and has a mealy, stellate-hairy indumentum, at 3 to 11 cm more lateral branches (rachillae) grow from it, these themselves being branched, all these branches as long as the main rachis or shorter. The umbels have a stout peduncle, and the flowers have a 1 to 2 cm pedicle. The young calyx is sinuously toothed. The petals are valvate in bud, when mature are triangular and have a quite obtuse (blunt) tip. The stigmas have a long style in this species, 2mm or more. The disc at the centre of the flower has a flat margin.[3]

The fruit is a globose drupe,[3][6] with four to eight pyrenes (seeds, i.e. a 4 to 8-pyrenous drupe).[3] This fruit is coloured green when unripe; as it ripens it turns first orange, then red.[6]

Distribution[]

Schefflera aromatica is endemic to western Indonesia.[2] It is found in the western half of Java,[3] as well as in North Sumatra province in the otherwise impoverished flora found on the volcanic island of Samosir,[4] and in the southwestern rainforests.[5]

Ecology[]

It grows in forests, at 800 to 2,250 metres in altitude.[3] On Samosir it would appear to grow as a pioneer species,[4] but in Batang Gadis National Park it is often the most common plant occurring in the understory of montane primary forest, where it is found at densities of 7% to 17% in the forest cover. The fern is the second most common plant in this area. At lower elevations in both primary and secondary forest it is also the second most (after Dracontomelon dao), or most, respectively, dominant understory plant, but it occurs at lower densities. On less diverse, more heavily degraded land however, it is even more dominant, occurring at up to 25% of the forest cover. Where the forest is disturbed the only understory species more common than this Schefflera in this area is Ganua kingiana.[5] It flowers at the end of the rainy season, from January to July.[3]

In Java the fruit are an important food source for Hylobates moloch gibbons.[6]

Conservation[]

Schefflera aromatica is found in the protected area of Batang Gadis National Park.[5]

References[]

  1. ^ "Schefflera aromatica". International Plant Names Index. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries and Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Protea aromatica (Blume) Harms". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Backer, C. A.; Bakhuizen van den Brink, R. C. (1965). Flora of Java. II. Groningen: N.V. P. Noordhoff under auspices of Rijksherbarium, Leyden. pp. 164, 165.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c Hartini, Sri (2009). "Keanekaragaman flora di Pulau Samosir, Sumatera Utara" (PDF). Berkala Penel. Hayati Edisi Khusus (in Indonesian). 3 (1): 7–16. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Kuswanda, Wanda; Antoko, Bambang S. (2008). "Keanekaragaman jenis tumbuhan pada berbagai tipe hutan untuk mendukung pengelolaan zona rimba di Taman Nasional Batang Gadis" [Flora Species Diversities of Forest Types and Its Contribution on Wilderness Zone Management in Batang Gadis National Park]. Jurnal Penelitian Hutan Dan Konservasi Alam (in Indonesian). 5 (4): 337–354. doi:10.20886/jphka.2008.5.4.337-354. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Makanan Owa Jawa Adalah Buah-buahan, Apa Saja?". Gibbonesia - Kampanye edukasi perlindungan owa di Indonesia (in Indonesian). 8 September 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
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