Pronunciation: RAY-piss SUH-til-liss
Common Name: Dwarf Lady Palm; Thai Lady Palm
Rhapis subtilis is a somewhat rare Rhapis for California though unsure why. Though called the Dwarf Lady Palm, it can grow over 10' tall in the tropics. It is a species that has many cultivars in cultivation, some which are quite ornamental but unrecognizable as this species.
|
Appearance and Biology
- Habit: clustering with a crown of 4-8 palm leaves per stem
- Height: 6'
- Trunk: multiple; 1/4"-3/4" in diameter; covered with dark brown fiber and retained leaf bases
- Crownshaft: none
- Spread: 3'-6'+
- Leaf Description: palmate; fully divided leaflets to rachis with about 2-8 leaflets per leaf (depending upon cultivar); leaflets vary wide to extremely narrow depending upon cultivar; about 18" long; dark green
- Petiole/Leaf bases: 6" long; very thin; unarmed; un-split leaf bases
- Reproduction: dioecious
- Inflorescence:
- Fruit:
|
Horticultural Characteristics
- Minimum Temp: 25F
- Drought Tolerance: low to moderate
- Dry Heat Tolerance: high
- Cool Tolerance: low
- Wind Tolerance: moderate
- Salt Tolerance: unknown
- Growth Rate: very slow to slow with age
- Soil Preference: moist and well draining; rich and acidic
- Light Requirement: shade to filtered sun
- Human Hazards: none
- Disease or Horticultural Problems: brown tipping common problem
- Transplants?: probably fairly tolerant
- Indoor?: fair
- Availability: rare
|
San Diego county, California
Huntington Beach, California
Lyons Arboretum, Oahu, Hawaii
Velez garden, Orange county, California
cultivar in Nong Nooch gardens, Thailand
variegated form, Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens
