Ivy family
Description
A family of soft-stemmed trees, shrubs and climbers, occurring in the tropics and temperate regions (Araliaceae 1) (Araliaceae 2).
The leaves are usually alternate, often large and compound, with small stipules The flowers are borne in compound umbels and are small and regular, white or greenish, with 4 or 5 reduced sepals, 5 or 3 free petals and the same number of stamens. The ovary is inferior. The fruit is a drupe.
There are 58 genera.
Use
Some Aralia-species are used as a vegetable in Asia. The roots of several species of the Genus Panax provide the oriental tonic ginseng.
Described species
Aralia cordata, aralia