Schefflera actinophylla (umbrella tree)

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Invasive habit with Laysan albatross

Schefflera actinophylla (octopus tree, umbrella plant); habit with Laysan albatross at Midway Mall Sand Island, Midway Atoll. June 08, 2008

©Forest & Kim Starr Images-2008. CC-BY-3.0

Invasive habit with Laysan albatross

Schefflera actinophylla (octopus tree, umbrella plant); habit with Laysan albatross at Midway Mall Sand Island, Midway Atoll. June 08, 2008

©Forest & Kim Starr Images-2008. CC-BY-3.0

Habit

Schefflera actinophylla (octopus tree, umbrella plant); habit at Makawao, Maui. March 30, 2001

©Forest & Kim Starr Images-2001. CC-BY-3.0

Foliage

Schefflera actinophylla (octopus tree, umbrella plant); Leaves at Holida Inn Express Boynton Beach, Florida. September 24, 2009

©Forest & Kim Starr Images-2009. CC-BY-3.0

Habit, showing foliage and fruits

Schefflera actinophylla (octopus tree, umbrella plant); fruit at Kakipi Gulch Haiku, Maui. June 17, 2009.

©Forest & Kim Starr Images-2009. CC-BY-3.0

Flowers and fruit

Schefflera actinophylla (octopus tree, umbrella plant); flowers and fruit at Kakipi Gulch Haiku, Maui. June 17, 2009

©Forest & Kim Starr Images-2009. CC-BY-3.0

Close-up of fruits

Schefflera actinophylla (octopus tree, umbrella plant); close-up of fruit at Sand Island, Midway Atoll. June 01, 2008.

©Forest & Kim Starr Images-2008. CC-BY-3.0

Tenacious, invasive habit

Schefflera actinophylla (octopus tree, umbrella plant); tenacious habit, amongst rocks, at Mokolii, Oahu. April 19, 2005

©Forest & Kim Starr Images-2005 - CC-BY-3.0

Identity

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Preferred Scientific Name

Schefflera actinophylla (Endl.) Harms

Preferred Common Name

umbrella tree

Other Scientific Names

Aralia longipes W. Bull
Brassaia actinophylla Endl.
Brassaia singaporensis Ridl.

International Common Names

English: Australian umbrella tree; ivy tree; octopus tree; Queensland umbrella tree
Spanish: cheflera
French: arbre ombrelle; arbre pieuvre

Local Common Names

Brazil: arvore-polvo
Germany: Queensland-strahlenaralie; Schefflera, Strahlenblütige
Micronesia, Federated states of: tuhke kihs
Portugal/Madeira: arvore-guarda-chuva

EPPO code

SCHAC (Schefflera actinophylla)

Summary of Invasiveness

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S. actinophylla is a fast-growing, ornamental tree which has been introduced to many regions. It has highly invasive behaviour in tropical and subtropical areas and is classified as a weed in the Global Compendium of Weeds (Randall, 2012). It produces thousands of seeds that can be easily dispersed by animals (mainly birds and bats). Seeds have high germination rates, and high densities of seedlings and young plants have been reported near seed sources, which are able to grow in shaded areas as well as in sunny open areas (Gucker, 2011). S. actinophylla is able to form dense thickets that can reduce the amount of light, space, and nutrients available to native plants (Langeland et al., 2008). In addition, this species has a dense root network that can pressurize building foundations and block plumbing joints and pipes in urban areas (Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, 2007).

Taxonomic Tree

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Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Spermatophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Dicotyledonae
Order: Araliales
Family: Araliaceae
Genus: Schefflera
Species: Schefflera actinophylla

Notes on Taxonomy and Nomenclature

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The family Araliaceae includes about 43 genera and 1450 species, largely distributed in tropical regions with a reduced number of species in temperate zones (Stevens, 2012). Plants within this family are predominantly shrubs or trees, rarely herbs and vines.

The genus Schefflera is pantropical and includes over half of the species described for this family (Plunkett et al., 2005). Recent studies have shown that the genus Schefflera is broadly polyphyletic within Araliaceae and five major lineages or clades have been recognized. These five clades correspond perfectly to geographic distributions: two morphologically distinct clades are centered in the southwest Pacific, and three other clades are centered in the Neotropics, Southeast Asia, and Africa-Madagascar (Plunkett et al., 2005; Frodin et al., 2009).

Description

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Evergreen, fast-growing tree, up to 12 m height, with single or multi-stemmed trunks, and greenish bark. Leaves are alternate with petioles up to 61 cm long, palmately compound with mostly 7-16 leaflets, these shiny, light green, oblanceolate, up to 30 cm long, and entire margins (or sparsely toothed when young). Flowers are borne in dense clusters that form a large, red, showy inflorescence at stem tips above foliage. Fruits are purplish black, round, fleshy drupes up to 7 mm in diameter (Gilman and Watson, 1994).

Plant Type

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Perennial
Seed propagated
Tree
Woody

Distribution

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S. actinophylla is native to northern Queensland in Australia, New Guinea, and Java and it has become weedy where introduced in southern Queensland (Russell-Smith, 1991; Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2011). It was introduced as an ornamental in Singapore, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Mexico, the Galapagos Islands, Florida, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Lesser Antilles, Hawaii and Pacific islands, where it has escaped from gardens and yards and invaded both disturbed and native unaltered forests (Gucker, 2011). Half of Joy Island in Pohnpei (Federated States of Micronesia) is covered with S. actinophylla (Englberger, 2009).

Distribution Table

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The distribution in this summary table is based on all the information available. When several references are cited, they may give conflicting information on the status. Further details may be available for individual references in the Distribution Table Details section which can be selected by going to Generate Report.

Last updated: 17 Dec 2021

Continent/Country/Region	Distribution	Origin	First Reported	Invasive	Reference	Notes
Asia
Bhutan	Present	Introduced	2013		Seebens et al. (2017)
China	Present				Huang (2013)
Indonesia	Present				CABI (Undated a)	Present based on regional distribution.
-Java	Present	Native			Langeland et al. (2008)
-Maluku Islands	Present	Native			USDA-ARS (2012)
Singapore	Present	Introduced		Invasive	Chong et al. (2009)
Europe
Portugal	Present				CABI (Undated a)	Present based on regional distribution.
-Madeira	Present	Introduced			Vieira Silva (2002)
Spain	Present				CABI (Undated a)	Present based on regional distribution.
-Canary Islands	Present	Introduced			Verloove and Reyes-Betancort (2011)
North America
Anguilla	Present	Introduced			Waugh (2009)	Cultivated
Bahamas	Present	Introduced			Correll and Correll (1982)	Cultivated
Bermuda	Present	Introduced		Invasive	Varnham (2006)
Cuba	Present	Introduced		Invasive	González-Torres et al. (2012)
Dominican Republic	Present	Introduced			Acevedo-Rodríguez and Strong (2012)	Cultivated
Mexico	Present	Introduced			Carnevali et al. (2005)	Yucatan Peninsula
Netherlands Antilles	Present	Introduced			Mori et al. (2007)
Puerto Rico	Present	Introduced		Invasive	CABI (Undated b)
U.S. Virgin Islands	Present	Introduced			Acevedo-Rodríguez and Strong (2012)	Cultivated: St. Croix
United States	Present				CABI (Undated a)	Present based on regional distribution.
-Florida	Present	Introduced		Invasive	Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (2011)	Category I
-Hawaii	Present	Introduced		Invasive	Wagner et al. (1999) Seebens et al. (2017)
Oceania
American Samoa	Present	Introduced			Space and Flynn (2000)
Australia	Present				CABI (Undated a) Seebens et al. (2017)	Present based on regional distribution.
-Northern Territory	Present	Native			USDA-ARS (2012)
-Queensland	Present	Native			USDA-ARS (2012)
-South Australia	Present	Introduced		Invasive	CABI (Undated)	Original citation: Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (2007)
Christmas Island	Present	Introduced		Invasive	CABI (Undated)	Original citation: Swarbrick and Hart (2001)
Cook Islands	Present	Introduced			Space and Flynn (2002)	Potential invader
Federated States of Micronesia	Present	Introduced		Invasive	Meyer (2000) Englberger (2009)	Pohnpei Islands. Under eradication in Pohnpei
Fiji	Present	Introduced		Invasive	Smith (1985) Englberger (2009)
French Polynesia	Present	Introduced			Florence et al. (2011)	Havai and Tahiti Islands
Guam	Present	Introduced			Fosberg et al. (1979) Englberger (2009)	Cultivated
Marshall Islands	Present	Introduced			Fosberg et al. (1979)	Cultivated
Nauru	Present	Introduced			Thaman et al. (1994)	Cultivated
New Caledonia	Present	Introduced			MacKee (1994)
Norfolk Island	Present	Introduced			Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (2012)
Palau	Absent, Eradicated				Space et al. (2009)
Papua New Guinea	Present	Native			USDA-ARS (2012)
Samoa	Present	Introduced			Space and Flynn (2002)	Cultivated
Solomon Islands	Present	Introduced			Hancock and Henderson (1988)
Tonga	Present	Introduced			Space and Flynn (2001)	Cultivated
South America
Brazil	Present				CABI (Undated a) Miranda et al. (2007)	Present based on regional distribution.
-Distrito Federal	Present				Miranda et al. (2007)
-Sao Paulo	Present	Introduced			Forzza RC et al. (2012)	Subspontaneous
Ecuador	Present				CABI (Undated a)	Present based on regional distribution.
-Galapagos Islands	Present	Introduced			Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)	Potentially invasive

History of Introduction and Spread

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S. actinophylla was introduced to Hawaii in about 1900. Currently this species is common as an ornamental in lowlands, where it escapes from cultivated areas to become a serious weed and an invasive species in natural areas (Wagner et al., 1999; PIER, 2012). In Florida, S. actinophylla was introduced in 1927 and by the late 1970s it was reported as “escaped from cultivation” and listed as a Category I invasive plant by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council in 1996 (Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2011). By 1997, the species occurred in 44% of preserves in southern Florida (Bradley and Gann, 1999).

In the West Indies, S. actinophylla was probably introduced from Florida as an ornamental. It was listed as an invasive plant in 2003 for the Bahamas (Kairo et al., 2003); and in 2012 for Cuba (González-Torres et al., 2012) and Puerto Rico (Acevedo-Rodríguez and Strong, 2012). In 2010, S. actinophylla was first reported for the Canary Islands, where it was introduced as a fast-growing, flowering landscape tree. On these islands, it has been recorded germinating below the crown of leaves of the native palm Phoenix canariensis (Verloove and Reyes-Betancort, 2011).

Risk of Introduction

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The risk of introduction of S. actinophylla is high. It is available to the public through internet sites and is also sold in nurseries. In additions, the species is used commonly by landscapers to be planted in gardens and yards because it attracts birds (Gilman and Watson, 1994; Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, 2007; Gucker, 2011). Considering that S. actinophylla is a successful invader that can escape from gardens and is able to colonize disturbed areas as well as natural undisturbed forest, the probability of colonizing new areas remains high.

Habitat

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S. actinophylla grows in full sun or partial shaded areas on a wide variety of well-drained soils. In its native range, this species occurs in tropical lowland or monsoon rain forests (Russell-Smith, 1991). Outside its native range, it can be found invading xeric hammocks, scrublands, sand hill, beach dunes, coastal forests, mesic forests, ruderal communities, riparian areas, and secondary forests mainly in low elevations (Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, 2007; Gucker, 2011). Because S. actinophylla is shade tolerant, it is able to invade disturbed and undisturbed forests (Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, 2011).

Habitat List

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Category	Sub-Category	Habitat	Presence	Status
Terrestrial	Managed	Cultivated / agricultural land	Present, no further details	Natural
Terrestrial	Managed	Disturbed areas	Present, no further details	Harmful (pest or invasive)
Terrestrial	Managed	Disturbed areas	Present, no further details	Natural
Terrestrial	Natural / Semi-natural	Natural forests	Present, no further details	Harmful (pest or invasive)
Terrestrial	Natural / Semi-natural	Natural forests	Present, no further details	Natural
Terrestrial	Natural / Semi-natural	Riverbanks	Present, no further details	Harmful (pest or invasive)
Terrestrial	Natural / Semi-natural	Riverbanks	Present, no further details	Natural
Littoral		Coastal areas	Present, no further details	Harmful (pest or invasive)
Littoral		Coastal areas	Present, no further details	Natural
Littoral		Coastal dunes	Present, no further details	Harmful (pest or invasive)
Littoral		Coastal dunes	Present, no further details	Natural

Hosts/Species Affected

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S. actinophylla has been documented shading out the threatened species nodding pinweed (Lechua cernua) in Florida (Langeland et al., 2008). In addition, seedlings of this species may germinate in the crotches or branches of large trees and in this case the plant will grow as an epiphyte that can strangle and eventually kill host trees (Menninger, 1971).

Biology and Ecology

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Genetics

Chromosome numbers in the genus Schefflera are relatively uniform, generally with 2n = 24 or 48, and both diploid and tetraploid counts have been reported for S. actinophylla (Yi et al., 2004).

Reproductive Biology

Flowers of S. actinophylla are hermaphroditic and it is suggested that this species is capable of self-pollination (Brown and Hopkins, 1995). In Florida, flowers of S. actinophylla are visited by the red-whiskered bulbuls Pycnonotus jocosus, which escaped from captivity around 1960 (Carleton and Owre, 1975).

Physiology and Phenology

In Australia, flowering activity occurs mostly during spring and summer (Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, 2011). In Hawaii, S. actinophylla flowers from April through October (Little and Skolmen, 1989), and flowering is in the summer or autumn in Florida (Langeland et al., 2008). S. actinophylla requires full sun to flower (Gilman and Watson, 1994), and fruits appear about 6 weeks or more after flowering (Menninger, 1971).

Environmental Requirements

S. actinophylla is restricted to warmer areas with minimum temperatures averaging above 1.7°C (Broschat and Meerow 1991), although a few days of frost are tolerated (Little and Skolmen, 1989). It grows in sunny open areas as well as in shaded areas on well-drained soils (including clay, loam, sand, slightly alkaline, acidic soils; Gilman and Watson, 1994). S. actinophylla has moderate tolerance to drought and poor tolerance to salty soils, and it can inhabit areas from sea level to 750-1000 m altitude (Little and Skolmen, 1989).

Climate

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Climate	Status	Description
Af - Tropical rainforest climate	Preferred	> 60mm precipitation per month
Am - Tropical monsoon climate	Preferred	Tropical monsoon climate ( < 60mm precipitation driest month but > (100 - [total annual precipitation(mm}/25]))
As - Tropical savanna climate with dry summer	Preferred	< 60mm precipitation driest month (in summer) and < (100 - [total annual precipitation{mm}/25])
Aw - Tropical wet and dry savanna climate	Preferred	< 60mm precipitation driest month (in winter) and < (100 - [total annual precipitation{mm}/25])
Cw - Warm temperate climate with dry winter	Preferred	Warm temperate climate with dry winter (Warm average temp. > 10°C, Cold average temp. > 0°C, dry winters)

Air Temperature

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Parameter	Lower limit	Upper limit
Mean maximum temperature of hottest month (ºC)		32
Mean minimum temperature of coldest month (ºC)	1.7

Rainfall

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Parameter	Lower limit	Upper limit	Description
Mean annual rainfall	500	3600	mm; lower/upper limits

Rainfall Regime

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Bimodal

Soil Tolerances

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Soil drainage

free
seasonally waterlogged

Soil reaction

acid
alkaline
neutral

Soil texture

heavy
light
medium

Means of Movement and Dispersal

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S. actinophylla reproduces by seeds and each tree can produce thousands of seeds that can be dispersed by birds and bats. In Florida, seeds are dispersed mainly by birds including crows, starlings, mockingbirds, and parrots (Gucker, 2011).

Pathway Causes

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Cause	Notes	Long Distance	Local	References
Escape from confinement or garden escape	Seeds are dispersed by birds and bats	Yes	Yes	Gilman and Watson (1994); PIER (2012)
Landscape improvement		Yes	Yes	Gucker (2011)
Nursery trade		Yes	Yes	Gucker (2011)
Ornamental purposes		Yes	Yes	Gucker (2011)

Impact Summary

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Category	Impact
Economic/livelihood	Positive and negative
Environment (generally)	Negative

Environmental Impact

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S. actinophylla is commonly used as an ornamental in yards and gardens because it attracts birds. Unfortunately, birds and other animals (i.e., bats) can easily disperse thousands of seeds into adjacent disturbed forests as well as into native unaltered forests. Once established, S. actinophylla achieves high population densities, altering native plant communities by displacing native species, and changing community structures and ecological functions of invaded habitats (Gucker, 2011; PIER, 2012). In addition, the epiphytic growth form can strangle and eventually kill host trees (Menninger, 1971). In Florida, it is out-competing the threatened species Lechua cernua (Langeland et al., 2008). S. actinophylla can also damage pipes and housing foundations (Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, 2011) and cause contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals (Gucker, 2011).

Threatened Species

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Threatened Species	Conservation Status	Where Threatened	Mechanism	References	Notes
Lechea cernua (nodding pinweed)	National list(s)	Florida	Competition - shading	Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (2011); Gucker (2011)

Risk and Impact Factors

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Invasiveness

Invasive in its native range
Proved invasive outside its native range
Has a broad native range
Abundant in its native range
Highly adaptable to different environments
Tolerates, or benefits from, cultivation, browsing pressure, mutilation, fire etc
Tolerant of shade
Highly mobile locally
Long lived
Fast growing
Has high reproductive potential

Impact outcomes

Damaged ecosystem services
Ecosystem change/ habitat alteration
Host damage
Infrastructure damage
Modification of successional patterns
Monoculture formation
Negatively impacts forestry
Reduced native biodiversity
Threat to/ loss of endangered species
Threat to/ loss of native species

Impact mechanisms

Causes allergic responses
Competition - shading
Competition - smothering
Competition - strangling
Competition (unspecified)
Poisoning
Rapid growth

Likelihood of entry/control

Highly likely to be transported internationally deliberately
Difficult/costly to control

Uses

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Many Schefflera species are grown as ornamentals and potted-plants. The genus Schefflera is the second most important interior tree genus after Ficus (Chen et al., 2002). Numerous cultivars of S. actinophylla are commonly planted in gardens and yards in tropical, subtropical, and temperate areas (Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, 2007). S. schefflera is valued by landscapers because it attracts birds to gardens (Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, 2007).

Uses List

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General

Ornamental

Ornamental

Potted plant
Propagation material
Seed trade

Similarities to Other Species/Conditions

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S. actinophylla is relatively similar to Schefflera arboricola. These two species can be differentiated by the colour of their flowers and by tree-size (height). S. actinophylla is a relatively large tree usually growing 6-12 metres tall while S. arboricola is a shrub or relatively small tree usually growing 3-4 metres tall. Additionally, S. actinophylla has pinkish-red to red flowers whereas S. arboricola has greenish-yellow flowers (Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, 2011).

Prevention and Control

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Due to the variable regulations around (de)registration of pesticides, your national list of registered pesticides or relevant authority should be consulted to determine which products are legally allowed for use in your country when considering chemical control. Pesticides should always be used in a lawful manner, consistent with the product's label.

Mechanical Control

S. actinophylla is difficult to eradicate. Seedlings and young plants should be pulled up. Fruits and branches with fruits should be removed from treated areas. Larger trees should be cut, and follow-up treatments are required to control sprouts (Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries 2007; Gucker, 2011).

Chemical Control

S. actinophylla is very difficult to control with herbicides (Thayer, 1998). Effects of herbicide may not be seen for months, and follow-up treatments are necessary. When this species is growing as an epiphyte, herbicide applications require care to avoid damaging host plants. N-phosphonomethyl-glycine (glyphosate) or 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinyl-oxy acetic acid (triclopyr) can be used as foliar applications on seedlings and young plants. In the case of larger trees, it is recommended to cut notches into the cambium around the stem and apply undiluted glyphosphate or triclopyr (Englberger, 2009), or to cut and then treat the stumps with the following herbicides:

N-phosphonomethyl-glycine (glyphosate): apply on cut stump, or paint basal green bark
3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinyl-oxy acetic acid (triclopyr) + 4-amino-3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinecarboxylic acid (picloram): apply on basal bark

Repeated applications of herbicides are necessary in order to avoid re-sprouts (Motooka et al., 2003; Englberger, 2009).

References

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Acevedo-Rodríguez P; Strong MT, 2012. Catalogue of the Seed Plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany, 98:1192 pp. Washington DC, USA: Smithsonian Institution. http://botany.si.edu/Antilles/WestIndies/catalog.htm

Bradley K; Gann GD, 1999. The status of exotic plants in the preserves of southern Florida. In: Florida's garden of good and evil: Proceedings of the 1998 joint symposium of the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council and the Florida Native Plant Society, June 3-7, 1998, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida [ed. by Jones, D. T. \Gamble, B. W.]. 36-41.

Broschat TK; Meerow AW, 1991. Betrock's Reference Guide to Florida Landscape Plants. Hollywood, Florida, USA: Betrock Information Services.

Brown ED; Hopkins MJG, 1995. A test of pollinator specificity and morphological convergence between nectarivorous birds and rainforest tree flowers in New Guinea. Oecologia, 103(1):89-100.

Carleton AR; Owre OT, 1975. The red-whiskered bulbul in Florida: 1960-1971. The Auk, 92(1):40-57.

Carnevali G; Tapia-Muñoz JL; Duno Stefano Rde; Hernández-Aguilar S; Daniel TF; Coe F; Ortíz JJ; Diego N; Itzá LC; Pat FM, 2005. Notes on the flora of the Yucatan Peninsula III: new records and miscellaneous notes for the peninsular flora II. Harvard Papers in Botany, 9(2):257-296.

Charles Darwin Foundation, 2008. Database inventory of introduced plant species in the rural and urban zones of Galapagos. Galapagos, Ecuador: Charles Darwin Foundation.

Chen J; Henny RJ; McConnell DB, 2002. Development of new foliage plant cultivars. In: Trends in new crops and new uses. Proceedings of the Fifth National Symposium, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 10-13 November, 2001 [ed. by Janick, J.\Whipkey, A.]. Alexandria, USA: ASHS Press, 466-472.

Chong KY; Tan HTW; Corlett RT, 2009. A checklist of the total vascular plant flora of Singapore: native, naturalised and cultivated species. Singapore: Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore, 273 pp. http://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/nus/pdf/PUBLICATION/LKCNH%20Museum%20Books/LKCNHM%20Books/flora_of_singapore_tc.pdf

Correll DS; Correll HB, 1982. Flora of the Bahama Archipelago. Vaduz, Germany: J. Cramer, 1692 pp.

Englberger K, 2009. Invasive weeds of Pohnpei: A guide for identification and public awareness. Kolonia, Federated States of Micronesia: Conservation Society of Pohnpei, 29 pp.

Florence J; Chevillotte H; Ollier C; Meyer JY, 2011. [English title not available]. (Base de données botaniques Nadeaud de l'Herbier de la Polynésie Française (PAP).) . http://www.herbier-tahiti.pf

Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2011. Florida EPPC's 2011 Invasive Plant Species List. http://www.fleppc.org/list/11list.html

Forzza RC; Leitman PM; Costa AF; Carvalho Jr AA, et al. , 2012. List of species of the Flora of Brazil (Lista de espécies Flora do Brasil). Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Rio de Janeiro Botanic Garden. http://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/2012/

Fosberg FR; Sachet MH; Oliver RL, 1979. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian dicotyledonae. Micronesica, 15:222.

Frodin DG; Lowry PPII; Plunkett GM, 2009. Schefflera (Araliaceae): taxonomic history, overview and progress. Plant Diversity and Evolution, 128:561-595.

Gilman EF; Watson DG, 1994. Shefflera actinophylla: schefflera. Fact Sheet ST-585. Shefflera actinophylla: schefflera. Fact Sheet ST-585. Gainesville, FL, USA: University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension, Environmental Horticultural Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service. http://hort.ufl.edu/database/documents/pdf/tree_fact_sheets/schacta.pdf

González-Torres LR; Rankin R; Palmarola A (eds), 2012. Invasive plants in Cuba. (Plantas Invasoras en Cuba.) Bissea: Boletin sobre Conservacion de Plantad del Jardin Botanico Nacional, 6:1-140.

Gucker CL, 2011. Schefflera actinophylla. Fire Effects Information System., USA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory. http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/

Hancock IR; Henderson CP, 1988. Flora of the Solomon Islands. Research Bulletin No. 7. Honiara, Solomon Islands: Dodo Creek Research Station.

ISSG, 2012. Global Invasive Species Database (GISD). Auckland, New Zealand: University of Auckland. http://www.issg.org/database

Kairo M; Ali B; Cheesman O; Haysom K; Murphy S, 2003. Invasive species threats in the Caribbean region. Report to the Nature Conservancy. Curepe, Trinidad and Tobago: CAB International, 132 pp. http://www.issg.org/database/species/reference_files/Kairo%20et%20al,%202003.pdf

Langeland KA; Cherry HM; McCormick CM; Craddock Burks KA, 2008. Identification and Biology of Non-native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas. Gainesville, Florida, USA: University of Florida IFAS Extension.

Little EL Jr; Skolmen RG, 1989. Common forest trees of Hawaii (native and introduced). Agriculture Handbook Washington, 679. Washington, DC, USA: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service.

MacKee HS, 1994. Catalogue of introduced and cultivated plants in New Caledonia. (Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie.) Paris, France: Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, unpaginated.

Menninger EA, 1971. Queensland umbrella tree, Brassaia-actinophylla. American Horticultural Magazine, 50(3):141-142.

Meyer JY, 2000. Preliminary review of the invasive plants in the Pacific Islands (SPREP member countries). In: Invasive species in the Pacific: A technical review and draft regional strategy [ed. by Sherley G]. Samoa: South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, 190 pp.

Mori SA; Buck WR; Gracie CA; Tulig M, 2007. Plants and Lichens of Saba. [Virtual Herbarium of The New York Botanical Garden.] http://sweetgum.nybg.org/saba/

Motooka P; Castro L; Nelson D; Nagai G; Ching L, 2003. Weeds of Hawaii's pastures and natural areas: an identification and management guide. Honolulu, HI, USA: College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 184 pp.

PIER, 2012. Pacific Islands Ecosystems at Risk. Pacific Islands Ecosystems at Risk., USA: Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry . http://www.hear.org/pier/index.html

Plunkett GM; Lowry PPII; Frodin DG; Wen J, 2005. Phylogeny and biogeography of Schefflera: pervasive polyphylly in the largest genus of Araliaceae. Annals of the Missouri Botanic Garden, 92:202-224.

Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, 2007. Fact sheet: Umbrella tree (Schefflera actinophylla). Fact sheet: Umbrella tree (Schefflera actinophylla). Brisbane, Australia: Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Land Protection (Invasive Plants and Animals). http://www.daff.qld.gov.au/documents/Biosecurity_EnvironmentalPests/IPA-Umbrella-Plant-PP96.pdf

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Space JC; Lorence DH; LaRosa AM, 2009. Report to the Republic of Palau: 2008 update on Invasive Plant Species. Hilo, Hawaii, USA: USDA Forest Service, 227. http://www.sprep.org/att/irc/ecopies/countries/palau/48.pdf

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Thayer D, 1998. Schefflera on the loose in south Florida. Wildland Weeds, 1(2):6-7.

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Wagner WL; Herbst DR; Sohmer SH, 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Honolulu, Hawai'i, USA: Bishop Museum Press, 1919 pp.

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Yi T; Lowry PPII; Plunkett GM; Wen J, 2004. Chromosomal evolution in Araliaceae and close relatives. Taxon, 53:987-1005.

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Seebens H, Blackburn T M, Dyer E E, Genovesi P, Hulme P E, Jeschke J M, Pagad S, Pyšek P, Winter M, Arianoutsou M, Bacher S, Blasius B, Brundu G, Capinha C, Celesti-Grapow L, Dawson W, Dullinger S, Fuentes N, Jäger H, Kartesz J, Kenis M, Kreft H, Kühn I, Lenzner B, Liebhold A, Mosena A (et al), 2017. No saturation in the accumulation of alien species worldwide. Nature Communications. 8 (2), 14435. http://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms14435

Smith AC, 1985. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji., Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii, USA: National Tropical Botanic Gardens. 758 pp.

Space JC, Flynn T, 2000. Observations on invasive plant species in American Samoa. In: USDA Forest Service, Honolulu, USDA Forest Service. 51.

Space JC, Flynn T, 2001. Report to the Kingdom of Tonga on invasive plant species of environmental concern., Honolulu, Hawaii, USA: Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, USDA Forest Service.

Space JC, Flynn T, 2002. Report to the Government of the Cook Islands on invasive plant species of environmental concern., Honolulu, USA: USDA Forest Service. 146 pp.

Space JC, Lorence DH, LaRosa AM, 2009. Report to the Republic of Palau: 2008 update on Invasive Plant Species., Hilo, Hawaii, USA: USDA Forest Service. 227. http://www.sprep.org/att/irc/ecopies/countries/palau/48.pdf

Thaman RR, Fosberg FR, Manner HI, Hassall DC, 1994. The flora of Nauru. In: Atoll Research Bulletin, 392 1-223.

USDA-ARS, 2012. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online Database. Beltsville, Maryland, USA: National Germplasm Resources Laboratory. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomysimple.aspx

Varnham K, 2006. Non-native species in UK Overseas Territories: a review. In: Non-native species in UK Overseas Territories: a review, Peterborough, UK: Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC). http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-3660

Verloove F, Reyes-Betancort J, 2011. Additions to the flora of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain). In: Collectanea Botanica, 30 63-78.

Vieira Silva RMda, 2002. [English title not available]. (Flora da Madeira: plantas vasculares naturalizadas no arquipélago da Madeira). In: Boletim do Museu Municipal do Funchal (História Natural), 8 5-281.

Wagner WL, Herbst DR, Sohmer SH, 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii., Honolulu, Hawai'i, USA: Bishop Museum Press. 1919 pp.

Waugh JD, 2009. Trade and Invasive Species in the Caribbean: A Universe of Risk., Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. 52 pp.

Links to Websites

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Website	URL	Comment
Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories for Europe (DAISIE)	http://www.europe-aliens.org/speciesFactsheet.do?speciesld=50539#
Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council	http://www.fleppc.org
GISD/IASPMR: Invasive Alien Species Pathway Management Resource and DAISIE European Invasive Alien Species Gateway	https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.m93f6	Data source for updated system data added to species habitat list.

Contributors

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13/12/12 Original text by:

Julissa Rojas-Sandoval, Department of Botany-Smithsonian NMNH, Washington DC, USA

Pedro Acevedo-Rodríguez, Department of Botany-Smithsonian NMNH, Washington DC, USA

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Schefflera actinophylla (umbrella tree)

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