1. Aralia L. (spikenard)

Plants perennial herbs, shrubs, or trees, with long-creeping rhizomes. Leaves all basal from rhizomes or alternate along the aerial stems (sometimes appearing fascicled along short branches in A. spinosa), deciduous, 2 or more times compound, pinnately compound or with 3 main divisions, these in turn 1 or 2 times pinnately compound. Leaflets tapered or narrowed to a sharp point at the tip, the bases rounded or narrowed, sometimes cordate, sometimes slightly asymmetrical, the margins toothed. Inflorescences consisting of 2 to numerous umbels arranged into compound umbels, racemes, or panicles. Sepals 5 low, broadly triangular teeth. Petals oblong-elliptic. Styles (4)5(6), sometimes fused together toward the base. Fruits globose, somewhat (4)5(6)-lobed, with (4)5(6) stones. Thirty to 38 species, North America, Asia, Malesia.