Aralia cordata Thunb. (China, Japan) – An exceptional escape from cultivation, perhaps sometimes persisting for some time but not naturalised. Recorded in 1915 without further details and in 1948 near Stembert (Mangombroux) in a riverine habitat.
The Asian Aralia cordata and the American A. racemosa are much alike but less closely allied than generally assumed; see Wen & al. (1998) and are possibly confused in Europe. Aralia cordata is not known to have occurred as an escape from cultivation in the British Isles (Clement & Foster 1994).
Literature
Clement E.J. & Foster M.C. (1994) Alien plants of the British Isles. BSBI, London: XVIII + 590 p.
Wen J. (2011) Systematics and biogeography of Aralia L. (Araliaceae): revision of sections Aralia, Humiles, Nanae, and Sciadodendron. Contr. U.S. Nat. Herb. 57: 1-172.
Wen J., Shi S., Jansen R.K. & Zimmer E.A. (1998) Phylogeny and biogeography of Aralia sect. Aralia (Araliaceae). Am. J. Bot. 85(6): 866-875.