Panax trifolius vs Aralia nudicaulis

[stephenb]

I received this one (AGS seed) as Panax trifolius, but it's beginning to look very much like Aralia nudicaulis which I have elsewhere (dark leaved plant in the foreground). It hasn't flowered. The picture is from last year and this year it's begun spreading vegetatively quite vigorously. Can the leaves easily be told apart?

[McDonough]

Hi Stephen, yes it looks like Aralia nudicaulis to me too.  Panax trifolius is a very small plant (3-8"), and the Aralia can grow 12-18" tall, often with 5 leaflets instead of just three.

Here's some good links for comparison:

Panax trifolius
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/panax_trifolius.shtml
http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/panaxtrif.html

Aralia nudicaulis
http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/aralianudi.html
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+0506+1174
http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=ARANUD

See photo #5 with Panax trifolius on a previous topic of mine:
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=108.msg1855#msg1855

[RickR]

It is also my understanding that Panax have palmately arranged leaflets; Aralia have pinnately arranged leaflets.

[McDonough]

It is also my understanding that Panax have palmately arranged leaflets; Aralia have pinnately arranged leaflets.

Good disgnostic point Rick, you can see the palmate leaf arragment of the Panax clearly in the Connecticut Botantical Society link, and the 3-5 pinnate leaf arrangement of the Aralia in the Wisconsin Plants link.

palmate vs. pinnate:
http://www.uwgb.edu/biodiversity/herbarium/trees/palmate_pinnate01_web400.jpg

[stephenb]

Thanks lads!! Not having much success with Panax! I planted seed propagated Panax quinquefolius; P. ginseng and what I thought was P. trifolius and only trifolius made it through the winter here...