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[[File:Rhapis_subtilis.jpg|frame|Figure 1. ''R. subtilis'']]
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''Rhapis subtilis'' is the other fairly commonly seen
species of ''Rhapis''. At less than 2.5 metres mature height this
species is easily distinguished from '' Rhapis excelsa''
by its smaller size at maturity. ''Rhapis subtilis'' has
canes that are less than 15mm in diameter and smallish
leaflets that are thin in section. Leaflets are also pointed
whereas '' [Rhapis excelsa]]''
usually has blunt irregularly toothed ends as regular
segments of approximately the same width with corresponding
leaves having roughly the same number of leaf segments (e.g.
if one leaf has seven leaflets the leaf immediately above or
below it will have either six or eight leaf segments).
Whereas ''Rhapis subtilis'' has a varying number of leaf
segments with varying widths.

''Rhapis subtilis'' is almost always grown from seed and
it forms a fairly even, rather compact central clump of thin
canes with suckers developing close to each other. On the
other hand ''Rhapis excelsa''
is usually grown from division of offset suckers which spread
laterally as sometimes long cane-like rhizomes. These
differences in growth habit can be used to help to roughly
determine which of the these two species you have at home.
However this general guide is not always reliable since I
have a palm which I believe to be ''Rhapis subtilis'', but
it is just over two metres high in a pot, has canes that are
up to 25mm in diameter, leaves are relatively small, leaf
segments are irregular in number and width and thin in
section.

''R. subtilis'' is a dioecious multi-stemmed palm that
grows to a maximum height of around 2.5 metres. Stems or
canes are very slender usually around 10mm in diameter
although some plants may have broader canes. As with
'' Rhapis excelsa'',
canes are dark green, have closely spaced leaf base scars and
are covered with fibrous leaf sheaths. Fibres on leaf sheaths
are fine and closely adhere to the canes, giving canes a
slender rather neat appearance.
Leaves are palmate, dark green, thin textured and divided
into few to many irregular segments that are divided to the
centre of the leaf. Each leaflet is multiribbed, pointed and
minutely toothed on outer and inner margins. Mature plants
have from two to nine leaflet segments per leaf. The leaf
blade can be from 200mm to 400mm across arranged in a
semi-circle. Petioles are slender and wire-like up to 300mm
long although usually shorter and sparsely covered with fine
fluffy hairs. Leaf sheaths may be up to 300mm long, the edges
of which have light brown fine fibres, that closely enwrap
the canes.

Inflorescences are interfoliar, arising from within the
upper leaf sheaths and is enclosed in brown papery bracts.
The branchlets are green stiff and rather brittie, branched
to second order, and fairly upright in habit. Flowers are
arranged irregularly along the angular branchlets. As very
few of my plants have flowered I have not observed their
flowers in detail but from a fruiting plant I purchased from
Queensland fruits are greenish maturing to light brown,
spherical, 3 to 6mm across.

Culture for ''R. subtilis'' is fairly similar to
''R. excelsa'' except that ''R. subtilis''
is tropical in its requirements. Cold weather may damage
foliage particularly if the cold persists for a long time.
The plants require shade and under shelter will not be
damaged by cold nights even down to about -4° C.
''R. subtilis'' also requires more regular watering than
''R. excelsa'',
water so that the soil is moist but not wet. Even with plenty
of water the plants may still suffer from burnt leaf tips
especially when grown in containers. This palm suffers from
one pest that does not affect
''R. excelsa'',
and that is spider mite, especially on plants that are grown
indoors in warm dry atmospheres. Spider mite can be easily
controlled by regularly spraying upper and lower leaf
surfaces with soapy water or if you want quicker results
thoroughly spray foliage with a miticide such as Kelthane,
Dimethoate or similar and it is necessary to alternate
miticides since mites are notorious for building up
resistance to one chemical.
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[[File:Rhapis_subtilis02.jpg|frame|inflorescences appear on the same stem, but months apart.]]
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[[File:Rhapis_subtilis03.jpg|frame|Figure 3. ''R. subtilis'' wide leaf form.]]
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[[File:Rhapis_subtilis04.jpg|frame|Figure 4. ''R. subtilis'' wide leaf form.]]
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[[File:Rhapis_subtilis05.jpg|frame|Figure 5. ''R. subtilis'' wide leaf form.]]
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===Contributed by: ===
Heinz-Dieter Froehlingsdorf, South Australia<br/>
(from '''''Palms & Cycads''''' No. 39, Apr-Jun 1993) (Text).<br/>
Ian Edwards, (Figures 1&2).<br/>
Colin Wilson (Figure 3,4&5)<br/>

===External Links:===
[https://powo.science.kew.org/results?q=Rhapis%20subtilis Kew],
[https://www.palmweb.org//?q=cdm_dataportal/taxon/81248c36-059c-41dc-8a36-136fd4025de9 PalmWeb],
[https://e-monocot.org/taxon/urn:kew.org:wcs:taxon:177975 eMonocot],
[https://www.jstor.org/action/doBasicSearch?Query=Rhapis+subtilis JSTOR],
[https://www.trebrown.com/plant_info.php?species=Rhapis+subtilis Trebrown]
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[https://www.google.com/search?q=%22Rhapis+subtilis%22&num=10&sa=Google+Search Google],
[https://images.google.com/images?q=%22Rhapis+subtilis%22&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search GoogleImages],
[https://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Rhapis+subtilis Flickr],
[https://www.google.com/search?q=%22Rhapis+subtilis%22%20site:https://www.palmtalk.org/&sa=Google+Search PalmTalk]
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[[Category:Rhapis|subtilis]]
[[Category:Palm|Rhapis_subtilis]]

Rhapis subtilis - Revision history

Pacsoa: 1 revision imported

P>Pacsoa at 23:15, 9 August 2024