Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

Polyscias sambucifolia

Flowers and young fruit. Photographer John Tann, Paruna Reserve near Sydney

Ripe fruit. Photographer John Tann, Paruna Reserve near Sydney

Flowering stems. Australian Plant Image Index, photographer Murray Fagg, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra, ACT

Flowers, young fruit, and leafy stem (subsp. Bipinnate leaves). Photographer Don Wood, Yurammie State Forest, west of Merimbula

Flowering branches (subsp. Long leaflets). Photographer Chris Clarke, Alpine National Park, Vic

Flowers, young fruit, and leafy stem (subsp. Short leaflets). Photographer Don Wood, Wadbilliga National Park

Line drawing (subsp. Bipinnate leaves). d. flowering branch. K Maling, University of Sydney, © 2021 Royal Botanic Gardens Board, Melbourne, Vic

Line drawing (subsp. Long leaflets). c. flowering branch. K Maling, University of Sydney, © 2021 Royal Botanic Gardens Board, Melbourne, Vic

Line drawings (subsp. Short leaflets). e. flowering branch. K Maling, University of Sydney, © 2021 Royal Botanic Gardens Board, Melbourne, Vic

Common name

Elderberry Panax, Ornamental Ash, Elderberry Ash

Ferny Panax (subsp. Bipinnate leaves)

Family

Araliaceae

Where found

Forest, woodland, disturbed areas, and rocky sites. Widespread. Rarely on the Western Slopes.

subsp. Bipinnate leaves (J.H.Ross 3967) Vic. Herbarium. Forest, often on rocky soils, below 1300 m altitude. Widespread. Rarely on the Western Slopes.

subsp. Long leaflets (P.G.Neish 208) Vic. Herbarium. Wet forest and rainforest margins. Coast, ranges, and the mountainous parts of the tablelands. Rarely elsewhere.

subsp. Short leaflets (V.Stajsic 196) Vic. Herbarium.  Forest and woodland, often in disturbed sites, usually between 750 and 1970 m altitude. Ranges and mountainous areas on the tablelands. ACT and Brindabella National Park. Kosciuszko National Park.

Notes

Shrub or tree to about 6 m high. Often suckers. Fruit fleshy. Stems almost hairless. Leaves alternating up the stems, compound, pinnate or bipinnate to tripinnate, 5-40 cm long, with 5-21 leaflets per pinna. When present, pinnae to 20 cm long. Leaflets 1–20 cm long, 3–60 mm wide or more (up to 200 mm wide in Vic.), commonly glaucous on lower surface. Flowers bisexual, first functionally male, then losing their stamens and becoming functionally female. Flowers cream to light green or greenish yellow, 3-4 mm in diameter, with 5 petals. Flowers in large branched clusters, rarely in simple umbels. Fruit mauve to translucent steely blue, or purple, edible.

Regarded as Indigenous/Naturalised in the ACT.

All native plants on unleased land in the ACT are protected.

subsp. Bipinnate leaves (J.H.Ross 3967) Vic. Herbarium.  Shrub to 3 m high. Leaves bipinnate or rarely tripinnate, 10–30 cm long; secondary rachises up to 20 cm long, leaflets 1–7 cm long, 5–15 mm wide, margins entire to deeply dissected. Flowers Nov.–Jan.

Was Polyscias sambucifolia subsp. with Polyscias sambucifolia subsp. 2 in Vic.

subsp. Long leaflets (P.G.Neish 208) Vic. Herbarium.  Tree or shrub to about 6 m high. Leaves 5–40 cm long, with a single rachis, usually with 5–13 leaflets, leaflets usually 3–20 cm long, 20–60 mm wide  (up to 200 mm wide in Vic.), margins more or less toothed. Petals 4 or 5 (to 8 or more). Flowers Nov.–Feb.

Was Polyscias sambucifolia subsp. A. Polyscias sambucifolia subsp. 1 in Vic.

subsp. Short leaflets (V.Stajsic 196) Vic. Herbarium.  Shrub rarely exceeding 2 m high. Leaves 6–30 cm long; with a single rachis, with about 13 leaflets; leaflets usually 2–7 cm long and 3–20 mm wide, margins entire or rarely lobed. Flowers Jan.–Feb. Fruit 4-5 mm long.

Was Polyscias sambucifolia subsp. B. Polyscias sambucifolia subsp. 3 in Vic.

PlantNET description of species and key to subspecies:  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Polyscias~sambucifolia  (accessed 2 February, 2021)