About Rhapis excelsa (Thunb.) A.Henry
Rhapis excelsa grows in multi-stemmed clumps, reaching up to 4 m (13.1 feet) in height and 30 mm (1.2 inches) in stem diameter. It produces glossy, palmate evergreen leaves that are split into broad, ribbed segments. Young plants have one or few leaf segments, while mature plants can have a dozen or more; all segments are split all the way to the petiole. Unlike the leaf ends of most other palms, the leaf ends of Rhapis excelsa are saw-toothed. Leaves grow on slender petioles that measure 20 to 60 cm (7.9 to 23.6 inches) in length. New foliage grows out of a fibrous sheath that stays attached to the stem base. As the plant ages, these sheaths fall off, exposing bamboo-like trunks. This palm species is usually dioecious, and grows a small inflorescence at the top of the plant that holds spirally-arranged, fleshy yellow flowers. Each flower has three petals that are fused at the base. Ripe fruit of this species are fleshy and white. Rhapis excelsa propagates more easily through underground rhizome offshoots than through seed. This plant has been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit for cultivation in the United Kingdom.
