Practical
Plants

Tetrapanax papyrifer

Rice Paper Plant

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Tetrapanax genus in the family Araliaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
5 m
Spread
5 m
Fertility
Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Root[2][6]. No more details are given.

Plant part
Root

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The pith is deobstruent, diuretic, febrifuge, galactagogue, sedative and vermifuge[3][10]. It is used in Korea in the treatment of oedema[13].

Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Febrifuge
Product or use
Galactogogue
Product or use
Sedative
Product or use
Vermifuge

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The inner pith of the stems is used to make 'rice paper'[1][14][16][5]. It is also used for making toys and flowers, for surgical dressings and for painting on[16]. The paper is made by cutting thin slivers from long sections of the pith[10].

Product or use
Paper

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Taiwan.
Habitat
Hillsides in mixed forests and shrub thickets at elevations of 100 - 2800 metres[3][12]. Subtropical forests[11].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow autumn in a greenhouse[9]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow on for at least their first year in the greenhouse. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Consider giving the plants some protection from winter cold for their first few years outdoors[K]. Division of suckers in the early spring. They can be difficult to establish[9]. It is probably best to pot up the divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse until they are well established. Keep them in the greenhouse for their first winter then plant them out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in any fertile soil[7][9] and in most situations[9]. Prefers a moist but well-drained humus-rich soil in full sun or semi-shade[8]. The plant requires a sheltered position in order to prevent damage to its large leaves[11]. Plants are not very hardy outdoors in Britain and are normally best grown in a cool greenhouse[1], but in selected sites they can tolerate temperatures down to about -5°c[4][9]. They are often cut back to ground level in cold winters but will normally regrow from the rootstock in the spring[9]. The plant can, in fact, become invasive, spreading by means of a vigorous suckering rootstock[9]. Plants are growing well at Menehay in Cornwall[15]. A young specimen was seen at Hilliers Arboretum in April 1999. It had about 3 years of growth above ground and was growing in a sheltered but fairly sunny position with no sign of die-back[K]. Even more established plants can be found growing by a south-facing wall against a greenhouse at Cambridge Botanical Gardens. They had at least 4 years of growth above the ground in spring 1999 and were spreading at the roots[K]. Plants are much cultivated in China for the pith obtained from the stems, which is used to make 'rice paper'[14][12]. A very ornamental plant[9], it is closely related to Fatsia japonica[7]. The flowers are produced in autumn and are often damaged by frosts[7].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩

  3. ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X

    ↩1↩2

  4. Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990-00-00

    ↩

  5. Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952-00-00

    ↩

  6. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  7. Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩

  9. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8

  10. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩1↩2

  11. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-330-37376-5

    ↩1↩2

  12. Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

    ↩1↩2

  13. Medicinal Plants in the Republic of Korea World Health Organisation, Manila 1998-00-00 ISBN 92 9061 120 0

    ↩

  14. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  15. Thurston. Trees and Shrubs in Cornwall.

    ↩

  16. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2

Edit this page