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

<i>Aralia elata</i> Species of plant

Aralia elata, the Japanese angelica tree, Chinese angelica-tree, or Korean angelica-tree, is a woody plant belonging to the family Araliaceae. It is known as tara-no-ki in Japanese, and dureup-namu (두릅나무) in Korean.

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

Variegation is the appearance of differently coloured zones in the leaves and sometimes the stems and fruit of plants. Species with variegated individuals are sometimes found in the understory of tropical rainforests, and this habitat is the source of a number of variegated houseplants. Variegation is caused by mutations that affect chlorophyll production or by viruses, such as mosaic viruses, which have been studied by scientists. The striking look of variegated plants is desired by many gardeners, and some have deliberately tried to induce it for aesthetic purposes. There are a number of gardening books about variegated plants, and some gardening societies specialize in them.

<i>Hibiscus syriacus</i> Species of flowering plant

Hibiscus syriacus is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is native to south-central and southeast China, but widely introduced elsewhere, including much of Asia, both in the east and the west. It was given the epithet syriacus because it had been collected from gardens in Syria. Common names include the rose of Sharon,, Syrian ketmia, shrub althea, and rose mallow. It is the national flower of South Korea and is mentioned in the South Korean national anthem.

<i>Ficus benjamina</i> Species of fig

Ficus benjamina, commonly known as weeping fig, benjamin fig or ficus tree, and often sold in stores as just ficus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae, native to Asia and Australia. It is the official tree of Bangkok. The species is also naturalized in the West Indies and in the states of Florida and Arizona in the United States. In its native range, its small fruit are favored by some birds.

<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.

<i>Tetrapanax</i> Family of shrubs

Tetrapanax papyrifer, the rice-paper plant, is an evergreen shrub in the family Araliaceae, the sole species in the genus Tetrapanax. The specific epithet is frequently misspelled as "papyriferum", "papyriferus", or "papyrifera". It is endemic to Taiwan, but widely cultivated in East Asia and sometimes in other tropical regions as well. The species was once included in the genus Fatsia as Fatsia papyrifera.

In botany, an umbel is an inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks that spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. The word was coined in botanical usage in the 1590s, from Latin umbella "parasol, sunshade". The arrangement can vary from being flat-topped to almost spherical. Umbels can be simple or compound. The secondary umbels of compound umbels are known as umbellules or umbellets. A small umbel is called an umbellule. The arrangement of the inflorescence in umbels is referred to as umbellate, or occasionally subumbellate.

<i>Kalopanax</i> Genus of trees

Kalopanax septemlobus, common names castor aralia, tree aralia, and prickly castor oil tree, is a deciduous tree in the family Araliaceae, the sole species in the genus Kalopanax. It is native to northeastern Asia, from Sakhalin and Japan west to southwestern China. It is called cìqiū (刺楸) in Chinese, eumnamu (엄나무) in Korean, and harigiri in Japanese.

<i>Euonymus japonicus</i> Species of flowering plant

Euonymus japonicus is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae, native to Japan, Korea and China. It is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing to 2–8 m tall, with opposite, oval leaves 3–7 cm long with finely serrated margins. The flowers are inconspicuous, greenish-white, 5 mm diameter. In autumn, orange fruit hangs below the flaring pink seed coverings.

<i>Heptapleurum arboricola</i> Species of flowering plant

Heptapleurum arboricola is a flowering plant in the family Araliaceae, native to Taiwan and Hainan Province, China. Its common name is dwarf umbrella tree, as it resembles a smaller version of the umbrella tree, Heptapleurum actinophyllum.

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

Dracaena reflexa is a tree native to Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, and other nearby islands of the Indian Ocean. It is widely grown as an ornamental plant and houseplant, valued for its richly coloured, evergreen leaves, and thick, irregular stems.

<i><span style="font-style:normal;">×</span> Fatshedera</i> Intergeneric hybrid between Hedera helix and Fatsia japonica

× Fatshedera is hybrid genus of flowering plants, common name tree ivy or aralia ivy. It has only one species, × Fatshedera lizei. The hybrid symbol × in front of the name indicates that this is an inter-generic hybrid, a cross between plants from different genera. The name may be displayed with or without a space after the × symbol.

<i>Miscanthus sinensis</i> Species of grass

Miscanthus sinensis, the eulalia or Chinese silver grass, is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae, native to eastern Asia throughout most of China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea.

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

The Field Elm cultivar Ulmus minor 'Argenteo-Variegata' or simply 'Variegata', known in Australasia and North America as Silver Elm or Tartan Elm, is said to have been cultivated in France from 1772. Green noted that variegated forms of Field Elm "arise frequently, and several clones may have been known under this name". Dumont de Courset (1802) listed an U. campestris var. glabra variegata, Loudon (1838) an U. nitens var. variegata, and Wesmael (1863) an U. campestris var. nuda microphylla variegata.

<i>Fatsia polycarpa</i> Species of flowering plant

Fatsia polycarpa, the many-fruited aralia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Araliaceae, endemic to Taiwan, where it is threatened by habitat loss. Growing to 4 m (13 ft) tall by 2.5 m (8.2 ft) broad, it is a substantial evergreen shrub with large palmate leaves to 30 cm (12 in). Spherical clusters of cream or white flowers are produced in winter, followed by black fruits in spring.

<i>Hakonechloa</i> Genus of grasses

Hakonechloa is a genus of bunchgrass in the tribe Molinieae of the grass family, Poaceae, native to eastern Asia.

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

Dracaena fragrans, is a flowering plant species that is native throughout tropical Africa, from Sudan south to Mozambique, west to Côte d'Ivoire and southwest to Angola, growing in upland regions at 600–2,250 m (1,970–7,380 ft) altitude. It is also known as striped dracaena, compact dracaena, and corn plant.

<i>Aucuba japonica</i> Species of plant

Aucuba japonica, commonly called spotted laurel, Japanese laurel, Japanese aucuba or gold dust plant (U.S.), is a shrub native to rich forest soils of moist valleys, thickets, by streams and near shaded moist rocks in China, Korea, and Japan. This is the species of Aucuba commonly seen in gardens - often in variegated form. The leaves are opposite, broad lanceolate, 5–8 cm (2.0–3.1 in) long and 2–5 cm (0.79–1.97 in) wide. Aucuba japonica are dioecious. The flowers are small, 4–8 mm (0.16–0.31 in) diameter, each with four purplish-brown petals; they are produced in clusters of 10-30 in a loose cyme. The fruit is a red drupe approximately 1 cm (0.39 in) in diameter that is avoided by birds.

<i>Polyscias guilfoylei</i> Species of shrub

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 (Japanese: irohamomiji, イロハモミジ, or momiji,, is a species of woody plant native to Japan, Korea, 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.

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