/shef"leuhr euh, shef lear"euh/ , n.
1. any of various tropical trees or shrubs belonging to the genus Schefflera, of the ginseng family, having glossy, palmately compound leaves and often cultivated as a houseplant.
2. a similar, related plant, Brassaia actinophylla.
[ Scheffler, 18th century German botanist; see -A 2 ]