Vasilis Teodoridis:
Araliaceae | Aralia
11. Aralia elata (Miquel) Seemann; J. Bot. 6: 134. 1868.
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Shrubs or small trees; 2-5(-8) m tall; andromonoecious. Branches armed with sparse prickles. Leaves 2(or 3)-pinnately compound; with a pair of accessory leaflets at each division of rachis; petiole to ca. 50 cm; glabrous or pubescent; prickly; petiolules 3-5 mm; leaflets 5-11(-13) per pinna; broadly ovate to elliptic-ovate or narrowly ovate; 5-12(-19) x 2.5-8 cm; membranous; papery; or subleathery; abaxially glabrous or light yellow or gray pubescent; sometimes or more densely pubescent on veins; or sometimes glabrescent; adaxially sparsely strigose; secondary veins 6-10 pairs; raised abaxially; conspicuous adaxially; base cordate to subcordate or rounded; margin serrulate; apex acuminate. Inflorescence a terminal panicle of umbels; densely yellow-brown or gray pubescent; unarmed; primary axis 1-5 cm; secondary axes 20-35 cm; ultimate axes with a terminal umbel of bisexual flowers and 1 to several lateral umbels of male flowers; bracts persistent; lanceolate to subulate; 2-5 mm; sometimes ciliate; umbels 6-15-flowered; pedicels 1-10 mm; densely pubescent. Ovary 5-carpellate; styles 5; free or united to middle. Fruit globose; ca. 3-4 mm in diam.; styles persistent. Fl. Jul-Sep; fr. Sep-Dec. 2n = 24*.
Forests; forest margins; scrub fields; roadsides; near sea level to 2700 m. Anhui; Fujian; S Gansu; Guangdong; Guangxi; Guizhou; Hebei; Heilongjiang; Henan; Hubei; Hunan; Jiangsu; Jiangxi; Jilin; Liaoning; Shaanxi; N Shandong; Shanxi; Sichuan; Yunnan; Zhejiang [Japan; Korea; E Russia].