Umbrella Tree
| Schefflera actinophylla | ||||||||||||||||
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 Schefflera actinophylla in the Cooktown Botanic Gardens, Queensland | ||||||||||||||||
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| Schefflera actinophylla (Endl.) H.A.T.Harms | ||||||||||||||||
Schefflera actinophylla (syn. Brassaia actinophylla) is a tree in the Araliaceae family. It is native to tropical rainforests in Australia (eastern Queensland and the Northern Territory), New Guinea and Java. Common names include Umbrella Tree and Octopus Tree. The genus Schefflera was named after a 19th century botanist, J.C. Scheffler.
Description
S. actinophylla is an evergreen tree growing to 15 m (49 ft) tall. It has compound medium green leaves in groups of seven leaves. It is usually multi-trunked, and the flowers develop at the top of the tree. It often grows as an epiphyte on other rainforest trees.[1]. It produces racemes up to 2 metres (6.5 feet) long containing up to 1,000 small dull red flowers. Flowering begins in early summer and typically continues for several months.
Ecology
The flowers produce large amounts of nectar which attracts honey-eating birds. The fruits are eaten by many birds and animals including Musky Rat Kangaroos, Red-legged Pademelons and Spectacled Flying Foxes.[2] Its leaves are a favourite food of the Bennett's Tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus bennettianus).[3][4]
Cultivation
S. actinophylla is commonly grown in mild to warm climates as a decorative tree in larger gardens and, when mature, it has bright red spikes of flowers with up to 20 racemes which develop in summer or early autumn. Propagation is by seed or cuttings. It prefers well-drained soil and only needs occasional watering and feeding to thrive. It is, however, an aggressive plant and its roots can dominate surrounding soil. In some areas (eg Florida, USA) it is listed as an invasive weed.
Trivia
On VH1's America's Most Smartest Model, contestant Blonde Rachel was asked to walk down the runway while naming several types of trees. Upon saying "Umbrella Tree", she was criticized by host Ben Stein who claimed that he had never heard of an Umbrella Tree, and implied that there was no such thing. Nonetheless, Rachel and VH1 cleared this up and stated that Umbrella Trees are in fact real.
References
- ↑ Martin, Roger. 2005. Tree-kangaroos of Australia and New Guinea, p. 43, note. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Vic., Australia. ISBN 0-643-09072-X
- ↑ Beasley, John. (2006). Plants of Tropical North Queensland: The Compact Guide. Footloose Publications, Kuranda, Australia. ISBN 1-876617-13-6
- ↑ Pers. comm. Lewis Roberts OAM
- ↑ Martin, Roger. 2005. Tree-kangaroos of Australia and New Guinea. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Vic., Australia. ISBN 0-643-09072-X
