Losing a leaflet: why "Schefflera octophylla" is Schefflera heptaphylla

by Richard T. Corlett

Schefflera octophylla (Lour.) Harms. (Araliaceae) is probably the best-known native tree species in Hong Kong. Apart from being exceedingly common, it is instantly recognizable by its palmately compound leaves, with 5-10 leaflets radiating from the end of the stalk. The specific epithet "octophylla" means "eight leaves", which is a good way of remembering the plant if you know Greek (or the Greek if you know the plant). Now for the bad news. In 1990, David Frodin, the undisputed world expert on Schefflera, published a paper showing that our tree should actually be called Schefflera heptaphylla (L.) Frodin, with the specific epithet now meaning "seven leaves". The full story (Frodin, 1990) is long and complicated, but the essential facts are clear and the picture of the type specimen will convince any doubters. The original name for this specimen was published by Linnaeus in 1771 as Vitis heptaphylla. He described it as a climber – although nothing on the specimen itself suggests this – and this may have influenced his decision to place it in the grape genus, Vitis (Vitaceae), which, in any case, he considered to be close to the ivy genus, Hedera (Araliaceae). Linnaeus did not mention a source or collector, but simply gave its origin as "in India orientali". Later, however, it came to be believed that this supposed Asian origin was an error and the specimen then became (incorrectly) associated with an American species of Schefflera, until Frodin recognized it as the plant long known as Schefflera octophylla. The Linnaean name was published 19 years before Loureiro’s and so has precedence.

Fig. 1 Schefflera heptaphylla

Bibliography

Frodin, D.G. (1990) Studies in Schefflera (Araliaceae). IV. The identity of Vitis heptaphylla L., a long-misplaced Linnaean ivy tree. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 104: 309-324.

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