Eleutherococcus is a genus of 38 species of thorny shrubs and trees in the family Araliaceae. They are native to eastern Asia, the, Vietnam, from southeast Siberia and Japan south to the Philippines. 18 species come from China, from central to western parts.Perhaps the best known in the West is the species E. senticosus used as herbal medicine, and commonly known by such English names as Eleuthero or Siberian ginseng.