Canary flora > Exotic and ornamental
Schefflera actinophylla
Schefflera actinophylla (Endl.) Harms
Poinsettia, Christmas Blossom, Cardinal
Evergreen tree about 6-10 m high, with one or more thin trunks, usually
little branched, covered with a smooth light gray bark that eventually
fissures over time.
Its thick branches, with greenish colored bark and lenticels, form a beautiful symmetrical, sun-shaped crown.
Its thick branches, with greenish colored bark and lenticels, form a beautiful symmetrical, sun-shaped crown.
The leaves are very large, about 60-90 cm long, and very long petiolate,
clustered in the terminal portion of the branches. They are alternate,
palmaticompuestas, with between 8-16 leaflets oblong to elliptic,
glabrous, semicoriaceous texture, glossy dark green on the upper side
and paler green on the underside, oblong, obtuse base, entire margin or
wavy, acute to acuminate apex, and with the midrib yellowish and sunken
on the upper side and highlighted on the underside.
The leaves of young matites usually have fewer leaflets, more acute and with occasionally serrate margins.
The leaves of young matites usually have fewer leaflets, more acute and with occasionally serrate margins.
Its flowers are grouped in large, showy inflorescences up to more than 1
m long, forming a cluster of radially arranged umbels. Each umbel has
about 10-14 flowers, sessile, each surrounded by an involucre of four
imbricate bracts.
The calyx is attached to the ovary, and the corolla consists of about 10-12 petals 3-5 mm long, red outside and white inside, and an androcecium with 10-12 red stamens.
The fruit is a globose drupe composed of about 10-12 rounded berries, 6-7 mm in diameter, and orange in color, turning black as they ripen.
The calyx is attached to the ovary, and the corolla consists of about 10-12 petals 3-5 mm long, red outside and white inside, and an androcecium with 10-12 red stamens.
The fruit is a globose drupe composed of about 10-12 rounded berries, 6-7 mm in diameter, and orange in color, turning black as they ripen.
