The name Schefflera venulosa (Wight & Arnott) Harms (synonym Paratropia venulosa Wight & Arnott) has been misapplied to this species[].
Several recent phylogenetic studies have shown that Schefflera is clearly polyphyletic, and that the Asian species belong to a single, well-supported, morphologically coherent clade. The name Schefflera will ultimately have to be restricted to a small group of species from the SW Pacific, while the Asian species will have to be transferred to one or more other genera[].

Common Name:

General Information

Schefflera elliptica is an evergreen shrub or small tree that can grow up to 10 metres tall. It is sometimes epiphytic, and also sometimes adopts a more climbing habit[, , ]. The stem can be up to 9cm in diameter[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use. It is grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Taiwan, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines to New Guinea, Australia.

Habitat

Common in primary and secondary forest and thickets, often along rivers and also frequent along the coast and in mangrove vegetation, at elevations up to 2,500 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	6.00 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark is employed as a bechic in the treatment of coughs[, ].

The resin is vulnerary[, ].

A decoction of the leaves is an effective antiscorbutic and may also be used in aromatic baths[, ].

The wood has been chewed to relieve toothache[].

The roots, mixed with rice, are eaten to cure dropsy[].

A study yielded oleanoli acid, lutein, fatty alcohols and hydrocarbons from the leave[].
A lectin extracted from the leaves is non-bood type specific and non-blood group specific. The lectin was a glycoprotein containing 2.33% total sugars. The leaves have been suggested as an inexpensive source of lectins that have wound-healing properties[].
A study demonstrated antioxidant and immunomiodulatory properties in the leaves[].
Lectins from the plant have been found to possess high cytotoxic activity against Acanthamoeba sp. (a keratitis-causing amoeba) and Tetrahymena pyriformis[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

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