Ricepaper plant

Description

Tetrapanax papyrifer, the rice-paper plant, is an evergreen shrub in the family Araliaceae, the sole species in the genus Tetrapanax. The specific epithet is frequently misspelled as "papyriferum", "papyriferus", or "papyrifera". It is endemic to Taiwan, but widely cultivated in East Asia and sometimes in other tropical regions as well. The species was once included in the genus Fatsia as Fatsia papyrifera. A second species, Tetrapanax tibetanus, is now regarded as a synonym of Merrilliopanax alpinus. It grows to 3–7 m tall, with usually unbranched stems 2 cm diameter bearing a rosette of large leaves at the top (superficially similar to a palm crown). The leaves are carried on 40–60 cm petioles, the leaf blade orbicular, 30–50 cm across, deeply palmately lobed with 5-11 primary lobes, the central lobes larger and Y-forked near the end. It spreads extensively by sprouts from the root system underground. The inflorescence is a large panicle of hemispherical to globular umbels near the end of the stem. The flowers have 4 to 6 small white petals. The fruit is a small berry. Tetrapanax papyrifer is used in traditional Chinese medicine. The pith from the stem is used to make a substance commonly known as rice paper, but more properly termed pith paper. The species is cultivated as an ornamental specimen plant, and has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. The cultivar 'Rex' is a semi-evergreen shrub or tree with huge palmate leaves. Classified by the Royal Horticultural Society as H4, it is evergreen in mild locations, deciduous where temperatures fall below freezing, and herbaceous with more prolonged freezing. It prefers a sheltered position in full sun or partial shade.