''Rhapis'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of about 10 species of small palms native to southeastern

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

from southern Japan and southern China south to Sumatra. The species are commonly known as lady palms. They are

fan palms Fan palm as a descriptive term can refer to any of several different kinds of palms (Arecaceae) in various genera with leaves that are palmately lobed (rather than pinnately compound). Most are members of the subfamily Coryphoideae, though a few ...

(subfamily

Coryphoideae The Coryphoideae is one of five subfamilies in the palm family, Arecaceae. It contains all of the genera with palmate leaves, excepting '' Mauritia'', ''Mauritiella'' and ''Lepidocaryum,'' all of subfamily Calamoideae, tribe Lepidocaryeae, s ...

), with the leaves with a bare petiole terminating in a rounded fan of numerous leaflets. The plants have thin stems growing to 3–4 m tall, branching at the base, forming clumps and are dioecious, with male and female flowers produced on separate plants.

Cultivation and uses

Several species are cultivated as ornamental plants, of which '' Rhapis excelsa'' is the most common. ''Rhapis excelsa'' and some other species are relatively cold tolerant and can be grown outdoors in subtropical or warm temperate climates. ''Rhapis excelsa'' was listed by NASA as one of the best plants for removing toxins from the air.

References

Arecaceae genera Dioecious plants {{Arecaceae-stub