Polyscias

Polyscias is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae. They bear pinnately compound leaves.^[2]

Polyscias
Polyscias guilfoylei & Polyscias fruticosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Apiales
Family:	Araliaceae
Subfamily:	Aralioideae
Genus:	Polyscias J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.[1]
Diversity
About 200 species
Synonyms
List Arthrophyllum Blume Bonnierella R.Vig. Botryopanax Miq. Cuphocarpus Decne. & Planch. Dipanax Seem. Eremopanax Baill. Eupteron Miq. Gastonia Comm. ex Lam. Gelibia Hutch. Grotefendia Seem. Indokingia Hemsl. Irvingia F.Muell. Kissodendron Seem. Maralia Thouars Montagueia Baker f. Munroidendron Sherff Nesodoxa Calest. Nothopanax Miq. Oligoscias Seem. Palmervandenbroekia Gibbs Peekeliopanax Harms Pterotropia W.F.Hillebr. Reynoldsia A.Gray Sciadopanax Seem. Shirleyopanax Domin Tetraplasandra A.Gray Tieghemopanax R.Vig. Triplasandra Seem.

In 2003, a checklist and nomenclator was published for Araliaceae.^[3] In this work, 116 species were listed for Polyscias.

As of July 2022^[update], Plants of the World Online recognises 180 species in the genus and 22 synonyms for it.^[1]

Description and taxonomy

The family Araliaceae, to which the genus Polyscias belongs, gives rise to a multitude of trees or shrubs that contain gum and resin ducts. As a whole, the family contains plants that have leaves of alternate, palmately or pinnately compound or simple, with stipules. The inflorescences are generally umbellate and often arranged in compound umbels, caouttules, panicles, or races. They possess flowers of smaller size than dioecious plants, which are bisexual or unisexual.

The name Polyscias means many-shaded, in reference to the foliage found on these plants. Their stalks carry compound leaves with up to seven (or more) opposite leaflets. In several species, the leaves are deeply lobed. There are about six species of the genus Polyscias that are actively cultivated. The genus contains a variety of tropical plants, which include about 80 species from the Pacific islands and Southeast Asia.^[4]

Selected species

Main article: List of Polyscias species

• Polyscias aemiliguineae Bernardi
• Polyscias balfouriana (André) L.H.Bailey
• Polyscias cissodendron (C.Moore & F.Muell.) Harms
• Polyscias elegans (C.Moore & F.Muell.) Harms
• Polyscias flynnii (Lowry & K.R.Wood) Lowry & G.M.Plunkett
• Polyscias fruticosa (L.) Harms
• Polyscias fulva (Hiern) Harms
• Polyscias guilfoylei (W.Bull) L.H.Bailey
• Polyscias kikuyuensis Summerh.
• Polyscias maraisiana Lowry & G.M.Plunkett
• Polyscias murrayi (F.Muell.) Harms
• Polyscias neraudiana (Drake) Harms ex R.Vig.
• Polyscias oahuensis (A.Gray) Lowry & G.M.Plunkett
• Polyscias rodriguesiana (Marais) Lowry & G.M.Plunkett
• Polyscias sambucifolia (Sieber ex DC.) Harms
• Polyscias sandwicensis (A.Gray) Lowry & G.M.Plunkett
• Polyscias scutellaria (Burm.f.) Fosberg