Dwarf Umbrella Tree

Overview

It is native to Hainan, Taiwan and introduced to Bermuda, Florida, Hawaii, Jamaica. It is a medicinal plant and has environmental uses.

Vernacular Names

Dwarf umbrella-tree, umbrella shrub, star leaf, Hawaiian elf schefflera, Hawaiian elf, octopus tree, parasol plant (English).

Agroecology

This plant is found along stream banks, wet forests, sometimes epiphytic, at elevations up to 900 m asl. It grows in tropical climate, dry soils/drought or well-drained soils, semi-shade or full sun area.

Morphology

• Leaves - palmately compound, clusters of 7 to 9 individual leaflets, arranged in a circle like spokes of an umbrella, obovate-oblong to elliptic in shape and measuring 10 - 15 cm long.
• Flowers - red/burgundy tiny flowers borne in a compound panicle.
• Fruits - an orange drupe (to 1/4") which becomes black upon maturity.

Cultivation

Take stem tip cuttings in spring and summer. It can be grown from seed. Prefers a position in light shade, but also does well in full sun and in deep shade. Succeeds in a variety of well-drained soils, from sandy to loam and from acidic to slightly alkaline. Prefers soil on the drier side. Established plants are very drought tolerant. Plants produce aerial roots from rootstock that root into the soil.

Chemical Constituents

Saponins, polyphenols, limonene, sesquiterpenes hydrocarbons, β-caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide, spathulenol, β-cubebene, humulene epoxide II, fumaric acid and gamma-hydroxybutyric acid.

Traditional Medicinal Uses

Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, numbness in the limbs, abdominal pain, headaches, arthralgia, and sore and/or swollen throat. It can also help to relieve asthma.