2926 



RHAPHITHAMNUS 



RHAPIS 



R. cyanocarpus, Miers (Citharexylon cyanocdrpum, 

 Hook. & Am. R. parvifolius, Miers). Tree, to 20 ft.: 

 young branchlets pubescent; spines slender, J^-l in. 

 long: Ivs. sometimes in 3's, ovate, acute, rounded at 

 the base, entire, glabrous above and glabrous beneath 

 except bristly hairs on the midrib, M~/4 m - long: fls. 

 lilac, slender, about Yzva.. long: fr. globose, bright blue, 

 y^-^m. across. Chile. B.M. 6849. A handsome 

 densely leafy shrub, particularly ornamental when 

 studded with its bright blue frs. ALFRED REHDER. 



RHAPEDOPHlfLLUM (Greek, probably means 

 Rhapis-leav ed) . Palmdcese. BLUE PALMETTO. NEEDLE 

 PALM. One species ranging from S. C. to Fla. It is a 

 dwarf fan palm with erect or creeping trunk 2-3 ft. 

 long, and long-stalked nearly round deeply and 

 unequally cleft Ivs. with about 15 segms. : spadices 

 short-peduncled: spathes 2-5, entire, tubular, com- 

 pressed, bifid, woolly: fls. minute, orange: fr. small, 

 ovoid or obovate, woolly. The genus is 

 closely allied to Chamaerops and is dis- 

 tinguished by having the albumen not 

 ruminate and by the bracts at the base of 

 the branches of the spadix being few or 

 none. The plant is said to produce suck- 

 ers freely, like Rhapis. Cult, as in 

 Rhapis. 



Rhapidophyllum hystrix, the blue pal- 

 metto or needle palmetto, is the most 

 beautiful and elegant of our native dwarf 

 palms. It is very local in its distribution, 

 being found in rich low soil both in 

 Georgia and Florida, but it is everywhere 

 rather rare. Its most striking character- 

 istics are the long sharp black spines 

 projecting in every direction from the dark 

 fibers which cover the trunk. These spines, 

 which are often a foot long, seem to pro- 

 tect the inflorescence, which before open- 

 ing resembles a large white egg and which 

 is imbedded among the spines. This palm 

 bears staminate and pistillate flowers on 

 separate plants. The woolly clusters of 

 fruit or seeds are borne on short stems 

 also surrounded by the sharp spines. This 

 palmetto is easily transplanted. The 

 leaves are dark shiny green, relieved by a 

 pale silvery gray on the under surface. It 

 is a very beautiful plant, and groups of it 

 are striking. The stem is 2 to 3 feet high 

 and the leaves rise to a height of 3 to 4 

 feet. (H. Nehrling.) 



hystrix, H. Wendl. & Drude (Chamasrops 

 hystrix, Fraser). Fig. 3372. St. 2-3 ft., 

 erect or creeping, proliferous, clothed with 

 the fibrous remains of If.-sheaths inter- 

 mingled with long, erect spines: Ivs. 3-4 

 ft., somewhat glaucous especially beneath, 

 circular in outline, with numerous 2-4- 

 toothed segms.; petiole triangular, rough 

 on the margins; sheaths of oblique fibers 

 interwoven with numerous strong, erect 

 spines: spadix 6-12 in. long, short- 

 peduncled: petals ovate, drupe %-l in. 

 long. S. C. to Fla. I.H. 30:486. 



JARED G. SMITH. 



RHAPIS (Greek, needle; alluding to the 

 shape of the leaves or perhaps the awns 

 of the corolla). Polmocex, tribe Sabalese. 

 Fan palms of very distinct habit, being 

 among the few palms that produce suckers 

 at the base, thereby forming bushy clumps. 



Low palms, with leafy densely cespi- 

 tose reedy sts. clothed with remains of 

 the reticulate If.-sheaths: Ivs. alternate 



and terminal, submembranaceous, connate or semi- 

 orbicular, irregularly and digitately 3- to many- 

 parted; segms. linear, cuneate, or elliptical truncate, 

 entire, dentate or lobed; nerves 3 to many; transverse 

 veins conspicuous; rachis none; ligule very short, semi- 

 circular; petiole slender, biconvex, smooth or serrulate 

 on the margins; sheath long, loosely fringed on the 



3373. Rhapis humilis. 



margin: spadices shorter than the Ivs., slender-pedun- 

 cled: rachis sheathed by deciduous bracts: branches 

 spreading: spathes 2-3, incomplete, membranous: fls. 

 yellow. About 5 species, natives of China and Japan. 

 This genus is distinguished from its near allies (for a 

 list of which see Licuala) by the fls. being dioacious; 

 corolla 3-toothed; anthers dehiscing extrorsely. The 

 name Rhapis is commonly spelled and pronounced 

 Raphis, but this is incorrect. They can be grown in 

 temperate house with a night temperature of 55-60. 

 The soil should be good loam 3 parts, leaf-mold 1 

 part and sand 1 part. Prop, by imported seeds or by 

 the freely produced suckers. Hardy in S. Calif, and 

 S. Fla., and, in fact, the hardiest of all the palms 

 with the exception of certain species of Sabal and 

 Chamaerops. 



A. Sts. 1 Y?r4 ft. high. 

 B. Lvs. with 5-7 segms. 



flabelliformis, L'Her. (R. Kwaniwdrtsik, Wendl.). 

 Fig. 2739. Sts. lJ^-4 ft. high: Ivs. 5-7-parted; segms. 

 linear, subplicate, ciliate-spinulose along the margins 

 and midveins, truncate, erose at the apex; petioles ser- 

 rulate along the margins. China, Japan. B.M. 1371. 

 R.H. 1872, p. 230. A.G. 13:261. I.H. 34:13. G. 1:478; 

 23:614. Gn.M. 6:288. Var. intermedia, Hort., accord- 

 ing to Siebrecht, has Ivs. horizontal instead of some- 

 what erect. Var. variegata, Hort., has been offered. 



BB. Lvs. with 7-10 or more segms. 

 humilis, Blume. Fig. 3373. Almost stemless, but 

 producing a few short reed-like sts.: Ivs. semi-circu- 

 lar; basal lobes directed backward; segms. rarely more 

 than 10, spreading; petioles unarmed. China. A.F. 

 7: 405; 22: 475. 



