Key to Wisconsin Aralia

Author: Mary Ann Feist

• 1a. Plant a shrub or small tree to 5 m tall; stems, branches, petioles, and rachises with stout prickles A. elata

• 1b. Plant herbaceous or suffruticose (woody at the base but remaining herbaceous above), stem unarmed or bristly towards the base 2

• 2a. Plant acaulescent, the peduncle and a single leaf arising from the rhizome (base); inflorescence of (2)3(7) umbels, the stalks of all umbels of equal (subequal) lengths and originating from a single point at the top of the scape A. nudicaulis

• 2b. Plant caulescent, the peduncles and multiple leaves arising from the stem; inflorescence of (2)5-many umbels; the stalks of the umbels of varying lengths and originating from multiple points along the stem and/or rachis 3

• 3a. Inflorescence a raceme of 2-15 umbels; leaves bipinnate; stem bristly towards the base A. hispida

• 3b. Inflorescence a compound panicle of 15-many umbels; leaves with three primary divisions that are each pinnately compound; stem unarmed A. racemosa