Araliaceae

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A family of flowering plants characterized by shrubs or trees, known for their palmate leaves and intricate flowers
2. A botanical group that includes species often found in tropical and subtropical regions, notable for their ornamental qualities
3. This family comprises plants commonly utilized in traditional medicine and landscape design, recognized for their diverse forms and structures

Etymology: Araliaceae is the botanical family name for the ivy family, though its best-known members are not ivies at all. The name is built from "Aralia," the genus that gives the family its title, and the Latin suffix "-aceae," which botanists attach to family names. That suffix comes from the Latin "-aceus," meaning "of the nature of" or "resembling," so the whole name means roughly "the group resembling Aralia." The genus "Aralia" takes its name from a Canadian or North American Indigenous word, though the exact source is uncertain and was recorded by early European botanists. Aralia was named by Linnaeus, which is why the family traces back to his system of classification. The family's most familiar members include ivy (Hedera), ginseng (Panax), and the umbrella tree (Schefflera).

Synonyms: Aralia family, ivy family