Castor Aralia

This species is used for timber, medicinal purposes, and as an ornamental.

Two varieties (Kalopanax septemlobus var. septemlobus and var. magnificus) have sometimes been distinguished on the basis of minor leaf characters, but they were not retained in the most recent authoritative treatment of the genus (Ohashi, J. Jap. Bot. 69: 28-31. 1994).

Trees, to 30 m tall. Trunk to ca. 1 m in diam.; branches stout, with numerous prickles. Petiole glabrous, 8-50 cm; leaf blade suborbicular, 9-25(-35) cm wide, papery, abaxially dark green and glabrous or nearly so, adaxially light green and usually slightly pubescent when young, 5-7-lobed; lobes broadly triangular-ovate to oblong-ovate, base cordate or rounded to nearly truncate, margin serrate, apex acuminate. Inflorescence 18-25 × 20-30 cm; peduncle 2-6 cm; umbels 1-2.5 cm in diam.; pedicels 5-10 mm, glabrous or slightly pubescent. Corolla white or yellowish green. Fruit dark blue at maturity, 3-5 mm in diam.; styles 2, united below, apical branches recurved. Fl. Jul-Aug, fr. Sep-Oct. 2n = 48.

Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Japan, Korea, Russia].

Forests; near sea level to 2500 m.

Acer septemlobum Thunberg in Murray, Syst. Veg., ed. 14, 912. 1784; Acanthopanax ricinifolius (Siebold & Zuccarini) Seemann; A. ricinifolius var. maximowiczii (Van Houtte) C. K. Schneider; A. septemlobus (Thunberg) Koidzumi ex Rehder; A. septemlobus var. magnificus (Zabel) W. C. Cheng; A. septemlobus var. maximowiczii (Van Houtte) W. C. Cheng; Acer pic tum Thunberg; Aralia maximowiczii Van Houtte; Kalopanax pictus (Thunberg) Nakai; K. pictus var. magnificus (Zabel) Nakai; K. pictus f. maximowiczii (Van Houtte) H. Hara; K. pictus var. maximowiczii (Van Houtte) H. L. Li; K. ricinifolius (Siebold & Zuccarini) Miquel; K. ricinifolius var. chinensis Nakai; K. ricinifolius var. magnificus Zabel; K. ricinifolius var. maximowiczii (Van Houtte) Nakai; K. septemlobus var. magn ificus (Zabel) Handel-Mazzetti; K. septemlobus f. maximowiczii (Van Houtte) H. Ohashi; K. septemlobus var. maximowiczii (Van Houtte) Handel-Mazzetti; Panax ricinifolius Siebold & Zuccarini.