Rhapis excelsa: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 01:07, 22 March 2018

Revision as of 06:45, 27 September 2018

Line 14:

}}

'''''Rhapis excelsa''''', also known as '''broadleaf lady palm''' or "the lady'''bamboo palm"''', is a [[species]] of [[List of Arecaceae genera#Tribe Corypheae|fan palm]] (Arecaceae subfamily Coryphoideae, tribe Corypheae) in the genus ''[[Rhapis]]'', probably native to southern [[China]] and [[Taiwan]]. It is not known in the wild; all known plants come from cultivated groups in China. They were first collected by the [[Japan]]ese for [[Tokugawa shogunate]] [[palace]]s, then popularity spread to [[Europe]], and later to [[Americas|America]] where its low [[light]] and humidity requirements make it a common feature in malls and offices. The genus name is [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] - ''rhapis'', meaning "needle"; and the species name is [[Latin]] for "tall", an ironic name choice asthough ''R. excelsa'' is not the tallest in the genus.

==Description==

''Rhapis excelsa'' grows up to 4 m in height and 30 mm in diameter in multi-stemmed clumps with glossy, palmate evergreen [[leaves]] divided into broad, ribbed segments. Leaf segments are single or few in young plants and increase to a dozen or more in mature plants; segments are divided to the petiole. Leaf-ends are saw-toothed unlike most other palms, occurring on slender [[petiole (botany)|petiole]]s ranging from 20 to 60 cm in length. New foliage emerges from a fibrous sheath which remains attached to the base. As the plants age, the sheaths fall, revealing the [[bamboo]]-like trunks. This usually [[dioecious]] palm species produces a small [[inflorescence]] at the top of the plant with spirally-arranged, fleshy yellow flowers containing three petals fused at the base. Ripe fruit are fleshy and white, though ''R. excelsa'' more readily propagates via underground [[rhizome]] offshoots.

In the UK this plant has gained the [[Royal Horticultural Society]]’s [[Award of Garden Merit]].<ref name = RHSPF>{{cite web

| url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/14466/i-Rhapis-excelsa-i/Details

| title = RHS Plantfinder - ''Rhapis excelsa'' | accessdate = 26 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf | title = AGM Plants - Ornamental | date = July 2017 | page = 84

| publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | accessdate = 26 September 2018}}</ref>

==References==

{{reflist}}

*Moore, H. E., Jr. (1963). An annotated checklist of cultivated palms. ''Principes'' 7: 162, 180.S

*Zhong Guo & Hua Jing. (1993). China Floral Encyclopaedia