Fatsia japonica

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Fatsia japonica
Old Fatsia japonica with blosems.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Apiales
Family: Araliaceae
Genus: Fatsia
Species:
F. japonica
Binomial name
Fatsia japonica
Synonyms

Fatsia japonica, also fatsi, paperplant, false castor oil plant , [1] or Japanese aralia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Araliaceae, native to southern Japan and southern Korea. [2]

Contents

Etymology

The name fatsi is an approximation of the Japanese word for 'eight' (hachi in modern romanization), referring to the eight leaf lobes. In Japan it is known as yatsude (八つ手), meaning "eight fingers".[ citation needed ] The name "Japanese aralia" is due to the genus being classified in the related genus Aralia in the past. It has been interbred with Hedera helix (common ivy) to produce the intergeneric hybrid × Fatshedera lizei.

Description

It is an evergreen shrub growing to 1–5 m (3 ft 3 in – 16 ft 5 in) tall, with stout, sparsely branched stems. [3] The leaves are spirally-arranged, large, 20–40 cm (7.9–15.7 in) in width and on a petiole up to 50 cm (20 in) long, leathery, palmately lobed, with 7–9 broad lobes, divided to half or two-thirds of the way to the base of the leaf; the lobes are edged with coarse, blunt teeth. The flowers are small, white, borne in dense terminal compound umbels in late autumn or early winter, followed by small black fruit in spring. [2]

Cultivation

It is commonly grown as an ornamental plant in warm temperate regions where winters do not fall below about −15 °C (5 °F). [4] F. japonica thrives in semi-shade to full-shade and is winter hardy in USDA Zones 8–10. [5] It can be grown as an indoor plant and has been shown to effectively remove gaseous formaldehyde from indoor air. [4]

This plant [6] and its cultivar F. japonica 'Variegata' [7] have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [8]

An ornamental plant, F. japonica 'Spider's Web' (or 'Spider White') is a rare cultivar with variegated leaves. Slower growing than the original species, it reaches a lower maximum height of 2.5 m (8.2 ft) at maturity. The dark-green leaves are strongly white-flecked, particularly at the edges, though the white variegation may occasionally disperse across the whole leaf. The variegation may change with the seasons and as the plant ages. Terminal clumps of white flowers emerge in autumn, which are followed by black berries. [9]

Naturalisation

While grown as a landscaping plant, it has also become naturalised in some areas. In New Zealand, it has become established in waste areas and abandoned gardens, spreading by suckers and prolific self seeding.

Health

The sap, which is sticky and resinous, can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive people. [10]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Variegation</span> Leaf with uneven distribution of chlorophyll

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<i>Fatsia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Fatsia is a small genus of three species of evergreen shrubs in the family Araliaceae native to southern Japan and Taiwan. They typically have stout, sparsely branched stems bearing spirally-arranged, large leathery, palmately lobed leaves 20–50 cm in width, on a petiole up to 50 cm long, and small creamy-white flowers in dense terminal compound umbels in late autumn or early winter, followed by small black fruit. The genus was formerly classified within a broader interpretation of the related genus Aralia.

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<i>Dracaena reflexa</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Ulmus minor</i> Argenteo-Variegata Elm cultivar

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<i>Dracaena fragrans</i> Species of flowering plant

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Polyscias guilfoylei, the geranium aralia or wild coffee, is a species of evergreen shrub native to the paleotropics and neotropics. It is not closely related to the true coffee plants of the genus Coffea. It has erect branches and can grow to a height of up to 24 ft (7.3 m). The leaves are long and 1-pinnate with leaflets which are opposite. The leaf blades are variable, but usually ovate or elliptic and coarsely dentate or lacerate. The leaves are commonly variegated with margins of white or pale yellow, but can also be entirely dark green.

<i>Acer palmatum</i> Species of maple

Acer palmatum, commonly known as Japanese maple, palmate maple, or smooth Japanese maple (Korean: danpungnamu, 단풍나무, Japanese: irohamomiji, イロハモミジ, or momiji,, is a species of woody plant native to Korea, Japan, China, eastern Mongolia, and southeast Russia. Many different cultivars of this maple have been selected and they are grown worldwide for their large variety of attractive forms, leaf shapes, and spectacular colors.

<i>Peperomia obtusifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

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References

  1. DK Publishing (2011). Grow Plants in Pots. DK Publishing. p. 64. ISBN   978-0-7566-8711-3. Fatsia japonica, or false castor oil plant
  2. 1 2 "Fatsia japonica - Plant Finder". www.missouribotanicalgarden.org. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
  3. "Fatsia japonica". North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
  4. 1 2 Kwang Jin Kim; Mi Jung Kil; Jeong Seob Song; Eun Ha Yoo; Ki-Cheol Son; Stanley J. Kays (July 2008). "Efficiency of Volatile Formaldehyde Removal by Indoor Plants: Contribution of Aerial Plant Parts versus the Root Zone". Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science . 133 (4): 521–526. doi: 10.21273/JASHS.133.4.521 . ISSN   0003-1062.
  5. "Fatsia japonica – Plant Finder". www.missouribotanicalgarden.org. Retrieved 2018-07-03.
  6. "RHS Plant Selector – Fatsia japonica" . Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  7. "RHS Plant Selector – Fatsia japonica 'Variegata'" . Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  8. "AGM Plants – Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 39. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  9. "Fatsia japonica 'Spider's Web' (v) Japanese aralia 'Spider's Web'" . Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  10. Oka, K.; Saito, F.; Yasuhara, T.; Sugimoto, A. (April 1999). "The allergens of Dendropanax trifidus Makino and Fatsia japonica Decne. et Planch. and evaluation of cross-reactions with other plants of the Araliaceae family". Contact Dermatitis. 40 (4): 209–213. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0536.1999.tb06036.x. ISSN   0105-1873. PMID   10208509. S2CID   40943286.

Further reading