| General Information |
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| Distribution | A genus of about 159 species from the Old World tropics, especially diverse in Madagascar, the Mascarene Islands, New Guinea, and New Caledonia.
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Habit
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Shrubs or trees.
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Leaves
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Leaves alternate, pinnately compound; leaflets 5‒21, coriaceous, adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface glabrous to scurfy stellate pubescent, margin entire, petiole base clasping; stipules absent or rudimentary.
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Flowers
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Inflorescences a terminal (often appearing lateral), compound or racemose umbel, ultimate unit an umbellule or racemule. Flowers perfect, actinomorphic, pedicel not jointed; calyx an undulate rim, often with 4‒9 minute teeth; petals 4‒9, valvate, caducous; stamens as many as and alternate with the petals, or 2‒8 times as many in 1‒2 whorls; ovary inferior or appearing half inferior to fully superior by expansion of the disc and reduced development of the hypanthium, (2‒)12‒16(‒22)-carpellate, styles as many as carpels, distinct or connate to form a stylopodium.
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Fruit
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Fruit a drupe, terete or laterally flattened.
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Seeds
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Seeds compressed, endosperm smooth.
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Notes
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Recent molecular phylogenetic studies now include Reynoldsia A. Gray and 5 other genera in Polyscias (Lowry & Plunkett 2010). The name is derived from the Greek poly, many or numerous, and scias, umbel, referring to the compound umbellate inflorescences of many species in the genus.
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Contributor
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Nancy Khan
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