Two new fatty acid esters of triterpenoids (1–2) together with eleven known compounds (3–13) were obtained after investigation of the CH2Cl2-MeOH (1:1) crude extract from the leaves of Schefflera barteri Harms. All these compounds (1–13) were isolated for the first time from this plant among which compounds 3, 4, 6 and 9–13 were also isolated from the genus Schefflera for the first time. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by analyses of their spectroscopic data (1D and 2D NMR, and MS). The antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of crude extracts, fractions and compounds (1, 2, 5, 6, 8 and 9) were investigated against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria strains as well as on human cervix carcinoma and colon adenocarcinoma cancer cell lines, respectively. They showed weak to significant activity towards the strains and malignant cells used.

The polyphyly of the pantropical genus Schefflera J. R. Forst. & G. Forst. (Araliaceae) is now well established, and consequently the genus has had to be restricted to its type (S. digitata J. R. Forst. & G. Forst.) and seven closely related Pacific Island species. Taxonomic transfers of the members of four other, unrelated clades have mostly been completed, including those from Africa and Madagascar, the Neotropics, and Oceania. Here we treat the final and largest group, from Asia, reinstating the genus Heptapleurum Gaertn. for the 317 species that belong to the Asian clade of Schefflera. This synopsis provides 256 new combinations for 246 species and 10 varieties, along with one replacement name, and types are designated for five generic and infrageneric names. With the completion of these transfers, Heptapleurum is now the largest genus in Araliaceae.

Chemical constituents from Schefflera leucantha R.Vig. (Araliaceae)

Objective: The genus Schefflera belongs to the family Araliaceae. The secondary metabolites of Schefflera include triterpene glycosides, oleanolic acid, and benzyl glycosides with proven biological activities. The objective of this study was to determine the antibacterial potentials of lianoid and arboreal Schefflera spp., from southern India.
 Methods: Schefflera venulosa, Schefflera stellata, and Schefflera racemosa were collected from the natural forests of Kodagu and Mysore regions of southern Karnataka. The plant parts such as stem bark, leaves, and inflorescence were dried, powdered and known quantity was subjected to Soxhlet extraction based on the solvent polarity. The solvent extracts from each of the species were subjected to preliminary antibacterial screening against five test bacterial strains, namely, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Bacillus subtilis, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Klebsiella pneumoniae by agar disc diffusion method and the inhibition zones were measured. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC’s) were calculated for the positive extracts and represented.
 Results: Of the 30 solvent extracts tested, six solvent extracts showed antibacterial activity. The ethanol and ethyl acetate solvent extracts of all three plants showed positive results for antibacterial activity. The zone of inhibition against the bacterial test pathogens ranged from 6.00±0.00 to 15.00±0.00 mm against B. subtilis, E. aerogenes, S. pyogenes, and K. pneumoniae. The highest zones of inhibition were observed for S. racemosa leaf ethanol extract against B. subtilis, E. aerogenes, and S. pyogenes (10.00 mm to 15.00±0.00 mm). The MIC values of the positive extracts were 5.0 mg/ml in the leaf, flower ethanol, and stem bark ethyl acetate extracts of S. venulosa, leaf ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts of S. stellata and the leaf ethanol extract from S. racemosa, respectively.
 Conclusion: Schefflera spp. from southern India possesses antibacterial potentials, which can be exploited pharmaceutically for potential health benefits against bacterial infections.

With its large proportion of endemic taxa, complex geological past, and location at the confluence of the highly diverse Malesian and Australian floristic regions, Papuasia – the floristic region comprising the Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands – represents an ideal natural experiment in plant biogeography. However, scattered knowledge of its flora and limited representation in herbaria have hindered our understanding of the drivers of its diversity. Focusing on the woody angiosperm genus Schefflera (Araliaceae), we ask whether its morphologically defined infrageneric groupings are monophyletic, when these lineages diverged, and where (within Papuasia or elsewhere) they diversified. To address these questions, we use a high-throughput sequencing approach (Hyb-Seq) which combines target capture (with an angiosperm-wide bait kit targeting 353 single-copy nuclear loci) and genome shotgun sequencing (which allows retrieval of regions in high-copy number, e.g., organellar DNA) of historical herbarium collections. To reconstruct the evolutionary history of the genus we reconstruct molecular phylogenies with Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood, and pseudo-coalescent approaches, and co-estimate divergence times and ancestral areas in a Bayesian framework. We find strong support for most infrageneric morphological groupings, as currently circumscribed, and we show the efficacy of the Angiosperms-353 probe kit in resolving both deep and shallow phylogenetic relationships. We infer a sequence of colonization to explain the present-day distribution of Schefflera in Papuasia: from the Sunda Shelf, Schefflera arrived to the Woodlark plate (present-day eastern New Guinea) in the late Oligocene (when most of New Guinea was submerged) and, subsequently (throughout the Miocene), it migrated westwards (to the Maoke and Bird’s Head Plates and thereon) and further diversified, in agreement with previous reconstructions.

A new lignan, arborlignan A, along with five known substances, neoechinulin A, 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde, 3,3′-dimethoxy-4,4′-dihydroxystilbene, β-hydroxypropiovanillone, and coniferyl aldehyde, are isolated from Schefflera arboricola. Their structures are elucidated by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy experiments and by comparison with literature data. These compounds are isolated from the genus Schefflera for the first time.

The pantropical genus Schefflera J. R. Forst. & G. Forst. (Araliaceae) was recently found to be polyphyletic, making it necessary to restrict the generic name to a small clade in the southwest Pacific and to transfer the members of the four remaining clades to other genera. Recent studies of the Neotropical clade have shown that it comprises five morphologically and geographically coherent subclades, each of which is being recognized as a separate genus. In the present synopsis, Crepinella Marchal is resurrected to include the 33 currently recognized species and four infraspecific taxa belonging to one of these subclades, necessitating 36 new combinations (32 species, two subspecies, and two varieties); two names are also lectotypified. Members of Crepinella can be recognized by their leaves with coriaceous leaflets and small stipular ligules, compoundumbellate inflorescences, and 2- to 5-carpellate ovaries, coupled with a distribution that is largely restricted to montane vegetation on the sandstone tepuis of the Guiana Shield, with just three species occurring on sandstone substrates elsewhere in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

New record of Nyssopsora thwaitesii on Schefflera leucantha and its colonization

Schefflera [ Schefflera arboricola ( Hayata) Merr.] is one of the most popular ornamental house plants conventionally propagated by seeds. Rapid multiplication of elite clones is an important driving force for the pot plant’s market. In this regard, In vitro clonal propagation of three schefflera cultivars, ‘Luseane’, ‘Charlotte’ and ‘Gold Capella’, was examined. Sterilization was done by 70% ethanol for 2 min and 1% sodium hypochlorite solution for 15 min. Shoot proliferation of the nodal segments was dependent on cytokinin supply. The greatest number of shoots was obtained when nodal explants were cultured on the MS medium with 0.5 mg l-1 TDZ for ‘Luseane’, or 8 mg l-1 BA for ‘Charlotte’ and ‘Gold Capella’. Subculture of nodal segments harvested from the in vitro derived axillary shoots on the multiplication medium enabled continuous production of healthy shoots with similar frequency. Plantlets of ‘Luseane’ and ‘Gold Capella’ demonstrated 100% rooting using 2 mg l-1 NAA, while ‘Charlotte’ showed 93.75% root induction by 1 mg l-1 NAA. Plantlets were acclimatized successfully using peat moss and sand mixture (‘Luseane’), loam soil, sand and leaf compost (‘Charlotte’) or peat moss and perlite mixture (‘Gold Capella’).

From the leaves of Schefflera sessiliflora De P. V., two new triterpene saponins including one oleanane-type saponin, named scheffleraside C (1) and one lupane-type saponin scheffleraside D (2), together with six known triterpene saponins (3–8), were isolated by various chromatography methods. Among them, 3 was found for the first time from natural sources, while 6–8 were isolated for the first time from the genus Schefflera. Their structures were elucidated by IR, UV, HR-ESI-MS, NMR 1D and 2D experiments, and comparison of their NMR data with previously reported data. Their α-glucosidase inhibition and cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 human breast cancer cell lines were evaluated. The isolates (1, 3–5, 8) showed stronger α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC50 = 5.99–76.58 μM) than the standard drug acarbose (IC50 = 214.50 μM). At the concentration of 100 μg/ml, the isolates (1, 2) showed appreciable cytotoxic activity (67.92, 63.83%, respectively).

From the leaves of Schefflera sessiliflora De P. V., one new C20-gibberellin diterpene 2β,12β-dihydroxygibberellin (12β-hydroxy-GA110 or 2β-hydroxy-GA112) (1), together with three known compounds, trans-tiliroside (2), kaempferol 3-O-β-d-glucuronopyranoside (3), 5-p-trans-coumaroylquinic acid (4), was isolated for the first time from the genus Schefflera by various chromatography methods. Their structures were elucidated by IR, UV, HR-ESI-MS, NMR 1D and 2D experiments and comparison with previous reported data. The α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of all compounds was measured. The isolates (2, 3) showed better α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC50 = 134.60, 147.10 μM, respectively) than the standard drug acarbose (IC50 = 214.50 μM).

Wood anatomy has been investigated from 35 species belonging to the Neotropical clade of the polyphyletic genus Schefflera (Araliaceae), representing three of the five subgroups (Didymopanax, Crepinella and Sciodaphyllum). The species examined are rather uniform in their wood structure, sharing the presence of scalariform and simple perforation plates, septate fibres and scanty paratracheal axial parenchyma. The observed variation in many wood characters showed statistically significant differences relative to latitude, climate and, especially, vegetation types. In particular, the intervessel pits are larger in species from higher latitudes and in seasonally dry habitats than those from lower latitudes and rainforests. Latitudinal and ecological trends in the variation of vessel element lengths, bar numbers on perforation plates, intervessel pit sizes and ray widths may be at least partially explained as effects of adaptation to drier environments in the course of dispersal outside the Amazonian region and diversification in the Atlantic Forest subclade and the Savannic subclade within the Didymopanax group. The occurrence of a granular annulus on the intervessel pit membranes in S. chimantensis and S. sprucei (both of the Crepinella group) is the first record of this feature in Araliaceae. In comparisons of Neotropical Schefflera with the other major clades of Schefflera sensu lato, wood anatomical diversity is consistent with the polyphyly of this genus based on molecular phylogenetic analyses. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013, 173, 452–475.

The genus Schefflera (Araliaceae) consists of 1100 species, 35 of which can be found in China. Some species of the genus have been used in traditional medicine to treat rheumatalgia, trauma, fracture, headache, and so on. Phytochemical studies of the genus have demonstrated the presence of large number of triterpenoids and their saponins, along with some long-chain compounds, steroids and sesquiterpenes. Furthermore, many pharmacological activities of the genus such as anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antiviral activities have been reported. In this article, new development of constituents and biological activities of Schefflera genus is reviewed and summarized for its further development and utilization.

Abstract The Pacific species of the polyphyletic genus Schefflera belong to three main clades, of which the Melanesian Schefflera clade is best represented in the archipelagos of New Caledonia, Fiji, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands. Previous studies have helped to establish the monophyly of Melanesian Schefflera, but an informal, morphology-based classification system that recognizes five subgeneric groupings within this clade remains largely untested. To examine relationships among Melanesian Scheffleras, DNA sequence data from two spacer regions (ITS and ETS) of the nuclear rRNA genes were gathered from a nearly comprehensive sample of species and analyzed phylogenetically. Results confirm the monophyly of four of the five informal groupings, including ‘Plerandra’ (from Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, and New Guinea), ‘Gabriellae’ (from New Caledonia, Fiji, and Vanuatu), ‘Canacoschefflera’ (New Caledonia), and ‘Dictyophlebes’ (Fiji and Solomon Islands). However, rDNA data do not agree with morphology i...

Abstract The pantropical genus Schefflera is represented by ca. 300 species in the American tropics, but due to limited sampling of the Neotropical species in previous phylogenetic studies of the genus, the monophyly of this group has remained tentative. To test this, an existing family-wide dataset of ITS and trnL—trnF sequences was expanded, and relationships were explored further by assembling new ITS and ETS datasets using a representative sampling from most of the morphological and geographical diversity of the group. These results were also used to test an informal, morphology-based classification of Neotropical Schefflera. Results of the phylogenetic analyses confirm the monophyly of Neotropical Schefflera, and its placement in the Asian Palmate clade of Araliaceae. Four clades were consistently recovered from all analyses, informally called the Calyptrate, Tremula, Jahnii, and Eastern South American clades, each of which corresponds closely to the previously recognized morphological groupings. The...

The Lienhuachih Forest Dynamics Plot (FDP), measured 500 m by 500 m square, is located in central Taiwan. The collected data, followed a unified method adopted for the worldwide FDP network, were analyzed for floristic composition, size-class structure, and species diversity. In total, the censused trees and shrubs belonged to 144 species in 86 genera and 39 families. The most dominant families were the Fagaceae, Lauraceae, Rubiaceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Melastomataceae. In total, 153268 (6131 ha^(-1)) individuals were recorded, and the total basal area was 34.77 m^2 ha^(-1). Of the 144 species, the most abundant were Randia cochinchinensis and Blastus cochinchinensis. Pasania nantoensis had the highest basal area (8.38%), followed by Engelhardtia roxburghiana (8.12%) and Schefflera octophylla (7.23%). Calculation of the importance value (IV, incorporating relative values of abundance and basal area) showed that R. cochinchinensis, B. cochinchinensis, S. octophylla, Cryptocarya chinensis, and E. roxburghiana were the most dominant species with the highest IV values in the plot. The sum of the 30 top species' IV reached 83.06% of the whole. Although the 1st 2 species were understory and very dominant due to the large number of individuals, certain numbers of rare species however increased the floristic diversity in the plot. Based on the species composition, the forest is characteristic of the Machilus-Castanopsis forest zone of Taiwan, with certain dominant understory species and possessing 2 pioneer species in the major canopy composition. For the size-class structure, 102 (each with total stems ≥ 25) species showed 4 patterns of size-class distribution: L-shaped, inverse J-shaped, fluctuating, and bell-shaped. The former 3 patterns in a total of 98 species, including a great number of small-sized individuals, imply that most current species in this study site can display good recruitment with rich resources of saplings. The woody plant richness of the Lienhuachih FDP is the highest among low-elevation FDPs in Taiwan. Compared to other Center of Ttropical Forest Science forest dynamics plots on islands, Fisher's alpha diversity (ha^(-1)) index of the subtropical Lienhuachih FDP was similar to that of the Luquillo FDP in Puerto Rico but much lower than that of other FDPs in the tropics.

Descriptions of pupal cases of Dialeurodes schefflerae, new species, as well as distribution records are presented. This species is known to occur in Florida, Hawaii and Puerto Rico appearing to feed only on species of Schefflera Forst and Forst. This restriction to plant hosts in the Asian genus Schefflera, along with its affinities with Dialeurodes agalmae Takahashi, Dialeurodes citri (Ashmead) and Dialeurodes kirkaldyi (Kotinsky), suggests it is an invasive species, probably endemic to the Asian region.

Our understanding of relationships among Apiales and within Araliaceae has progressed considerably in the last decade thanks to numerous molecular phylogenetic studies. It is now clear that traditional infrafamilial systems of classification of Araliaceae fail to reflect evolutionary relationships and that the morphological features on which they were based exhibit high levels of homoplasy. Recent studies have provided a very different picture of relationships in the family, and are rapidly converging on a consensus that allows us to review the status of the 41 genera currently recognised in Araliaceae and to consider alternative circumscriptions for those that are not monophyletic. Twenty-four small and medium-sized genera are unlikely to be modified, whereas five others ( Dendropanax , Oreopanax , Osmoxylon , Pseudopanax and Sinopanax ) may require changes in circumscription. The status of four other small genera is not yet clear, but the two largest genera will require considerable re-alignments: Polyscias (c. 150 spp.), which is paraphyletic with respect to six other genera, and the polyphyletic genus Schefflera (c. 650-900 spp.), which represents five geographically distinct clades. While it is still too early to make formal taxonomic changes to these genera, current evidence suggests that Polyscias sensu lato will likely be realigned into 5–8 geographically coherent genera, while Schefflera sensu lato will be split into 10–16 genera.

Metabolism of [14C]trans-zeatin and [14C]benzyladenine by detached yellow, green and variegated leaves of Schefflera

Bacterial Leaf Blight Incited by<i>Pseudomonas cichorii</i>in<i>Schefflera arboricola</i>and Some Related Plants