Plerandra is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae (order Apiales), comprising evergreen trees and shrubs native principally to the Pacific island region, including New Caledonia, Fiji, Vanuatu, and surrounding archipelagos. The genus was for a long time treated as a synonym of the broadly circumscribed Schefflera, one of the largest genera in Araliaceae; however, molecular phylogenetic studies demonstrated that Schefflera sensu lato was polyphyletic — composed of several geographically isolated groups that had evolved similar morphology independently through parallel evolution rather than shared descent. As a result, botanists (including Plunkett, Lowry, and Frodin) subdivided the old Schefflera into multiple segregate genera along geographical lines, with Plerandra receiving the Pacific island clade.
The most widely known member of the genus is Plerandra elegantissima, the false aralia, a species native to New Caledonia. In the wild it grows as an evergreen shrub or tree to 8–15 m tall, with distinctive coppery-red to dark green leaves composed of 7–11 narrow, toothed leaflets on juvenile plants; adult foliage is considerably broader. In autumn, plants produce clusters of pale green flowers followed by small black fruit. Plerandra elegantissima is widely cultivated as a houseplant in temperate regions under its former names Schefflera elegantissima and Dizygotheca elegantissima, and received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Distribution
Plerandra is native to Pacific island territories, with species recorded from New Caledonia, Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, and neighboring archipelagos. Plerandra elegantissima, the best-documented member, is specifically native to New Caledonia.
Taxonomy Notes
Plerandra was long subsumed within a broadly circumscribed Schefflera, which molecular analyses revealed to be polyphyletic — comprising five geographically isolated clades that shared similar traits through parallel evolution rather than common descent. The old Schefflera was subsequently divided into separate genera primarily along geographical lines, with Plerandra receiving the Pacific island species formerly assigned there. Many species in the genus bear author citations crediting Lowry, G. M. Plunkett, and Frodin, who formalized the transfers.
Cultivation
Plerandra elegantissima (false aralia) is widely grown as a houseplant in temperate zones, where it remains more compact than in the wild, typically reaching 2–3 m. It requires strong light and high humidity; the soil should be allowed to dry out between waterings. The plant branches little and is susceptible to mealybugs. It is sold under the synonyms Schefflera elegantissima and Dizygotheca elegantissima, and holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.
