• Worldwide distribution. In Australia and most Pacific islands countries. Environmental weed, escaping from gardens, forming thickets in secondary and native forests, wastelands, riverbanks and coastal sand dunes. Tolerant, of shade and wide range of soil types and easily dispersed.
• Tree to 15 m (sometime an epiphyte). Compounds leaves, long leaf stalks, droopy, radiating from single point giving umbrella-look. Flowers in small clusters along spikes above leaves, with red petals. Fruits dark red, purple, round, fleshy containing single brown, oval seed.
• Spread: seeds by birds, bats (possible rats), water.
• Biosecurity: high risk; tree in demand for landscaping. Available on Internet. Florida, USA, regulates its planting (Category 1 invasive plant).
• Biological: none.
• Cultural control: hand-pulling; collect stem pieces and burn. Avoid using topsoil where umbrella tree grown previously.
• Chemical control: in Australia: (i) triclopyr + picloram (basal bark spray); (ii) glyphosate (cut stump/paint), (iii) metsulfuran-methyl (cut, frill or drill). In FSM, undiluted triclopyr (cut stump/paint or basal bark spray), depending on size of stumps.

Umbrella tree. It is also known as Queensland umbrella tree or octopus tree. The common names refers either to its large umbrella-like leaves or its octopus-like flowers.

Heptapleurum actinophyllum. Previously, it was known as Schefflera acinoplylla and Brassaia actinophylla. It is a member of the Araliaceae.