schefflera

/shef"leuhr euh, shef lear"euh/, n.

1. any of various tropical trees or shrubs belonging to the genus Schefflera, of the ginseng family, having glossy, palmately compound leaves and often cultivated as a houseplant.

2. a similar, related plant, Brassaia actinophylla.

[ < NL (1776), after J. C. Scheffler, 18th century German botanist; see -A²]

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▪ plant

also called  umbrella tree 

      any of several tropical evergreen trees or shrubs, in the ginseng family (Araliaceae), that are widely cultivated as indoor foliage plants because of their tolerance to low light conditions. The genus Schefflera includes the New Zealand seven fingers (S. digitata), which may reach a height of 7.5 m (25 feet), and the Asian S. octophylla, similar in size.

      The most common schefflera is the Australian umbrella tree (S. actinophylla, or Brassaia actinophylla), which can grow up to 12 m. It is widely used as a landscape tree in Hawaii and other warm areas and is also one of the most popular indoor plants around the world. A cultivated dwarf species, called Hawaiian schefflera (B. arboricola), is more compact in habit and has smaller leaves.

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