| Astropanax | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Apiales |
| Family: | Araliaceae |
| Subfamily: | Aralioideae |
| Genus: | Astropanax Seem. |
| Species | |
See text | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
GeopanaxHemsl. | |
Astropanax is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae, native to Tropical Africa, Madagascar, and other Indian Ocean islands. [1] It was resurrected from Schefflera in 2017. [2]
Fossil occurrences of the genus are known from the early Miocene (Aquitanian) Mush Valley plant assemblages of Ethiopia from 21.73 million years ago and based on leaf and leaflet compressions and pollen. [3] [4] Astropanax eogetem is known from a prehistoric tropical moist or wet forest surrounding a crater lake. [5] [6] Additional potential records of the genus are also known from the late Oligocene and Pliocene of Ethiopia, based on pollen referred to as ‘Schefflera abyssinica – type’ and ‘Schefflera cf. S. abyssinica’. [7]
