What is "aralia"

aralia \aralia\ n. 1. any of various plants of the genus Aralia; often aromatic plants having compound leaves and small umbellate flowers.

n. spikenard and any of many related ornamental and food plants, of the genus ''Aralia'', from Asia and the Americas

n. any of various plants of the genus Aralia; often aromatic plants having compound leaves and small umbellate flowers

Aralia , or spikenard, is a genus of the family Araliaceae, consisting of 68 accepted species of deciduous or evergreen trees, shrubs, and rhizomatous herbaceous perennials. The genus is native to Asia and the Americas, with most species occurring in mountain woodlands. Aralia plants vary in size, with some herbaceous species only reaching tall, while some are trees growing to tall.

Aralia plants have large bipinnate (doubly compound) leaves clustered at the ends of their stems or branches; in some species the leaves are covered with bristles. The stems of some woody species are quite prickly, as in Aralia spinosa. The flowers are whitish or greenish occurring in terminal panicles, and the spherical dark purple berry-like fruits are popular with birds.

Aralia species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including the Common Emerald (Hemithea aestivaria).There are many colours of Aralia flowers.The main flower is whitish Aralia.

Some species, notably Aralia cordata, are edible and are cultivated for human consumption.