Schefflera digitata,
Pate or
Seven-finger, is a tree endemic to
New Zealand belonging to the family
Araliaceae. The
Maori name is Pate or Patate. It occurs in lowland to lower montane forests from sea level to 1200 m in the
North Island,
South Island, and
Stewart Island, covering a latitudinal range from 34°S to 47°S. It prefers damp, shady parts of the forest and is common along stream banks and on shady forest roadsides. It is the only New Zealand representative of the genus
Schefflera which has 200 species of shrubs and small trees in the tropics and subtropics.