''Rhapis excelsa'', also known as broadleaf lady palm or bamboo palm,
[ is a species of fan palm (Arecaceae subfamily Coryphoideae, tribe Trachycarpeae) 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 Japanese for Tokugawa shogunate palaces, then popularity spread to Europe, and later to America where its low light and humidity requirements make it a common feature in malls and offices. The genus name is Greek - ''rhapis'', meaning "needle"; and the species name is Latin for "tall", though ''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 petioles 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
Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...
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
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...
offshoots.
In the UK this plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit
The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions.
History
The Award of Garden Merit ...
.
Gallery
Image:Rhapisexcelsainflorescence.JPG, Immature inflorescence
Image:Rhapisexcelsafoliage.JPG, ''R. excelsa'' foliage
Image:Rhapisexcelsatrunks.JPG, Sheathed and exposed stems
Image:Rexcelsafruit.JPG, In fruit
Image:Excelsaleaf.JPG, Proximally tomentose abaxial midribs
File:觀音棕竹 Rhapis excelsa 20221104191946 01.jpg, Stems clustered. Taken on a mountain road.
File:觀音棕竹 Rhapis excelsa 20221104191946 02.jpg, The middle segment(s) of the leaf is broader.
References
*Moore, H. E., Jr. (1963). An annotated checklist of cultivated palms. ''Principes'' 7: 162, 180.S
*Zhong Guo & Hua Jing. (1993). China Floral Encyclopaedia
External links
PACSAO.org
{{Taxonbar, from=Q164097
Rhapis, excelsa
Flora of China