Tetrapanax
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| Tetrapanax papyrifer (Hook.) K.Koch |
Tetrapanax papyrifer (Tung-tsau or Rice-paper Plant) is an evergreen shrub in the family Araliaceae, the sole species in the genus Tetrapanax. It is endemic to Taiwan, but also widely cultivated elsewhere in eastern Asia. It grows to 3-7 m tall, with usually unbranched stems 2 cm diameter bearing a rosette of large leaves at the top (superficially similar to a palm crown). The leaves are carried on 40-60 cm petioles, the leaf blade orbicular, 30-50 cm across, deeply palmately lobed with 5-11 primary lobes, each lobe usually secondarily lobulate. It spreads extensively by sprouts from the root system underground.
The flowers are produced in a large umbel at the apex of the stem, each flower with 4-5 small white petals. The fruit is a small drupe.
The pith from the stem is used to make a substance commonly known as rice paper, but more properly termed pith paper.
