Rhapis "Super Dwarf"

[Jeff Searle]

This Raphis cultivar(or is it a species?) is absolutely fascinating. I have been growing these now for about 3 years. The nice thing about them, is that they can be devided to make more new ones. I really did'nt know how large they would get before they started flowering, but from the looks of the next couple of pitures, they start at an incredibly small height. I would think they would be pretty cold tolerant like most other Rhapis species. They can be grown as a groundcover in small areas(as not to get lost) or they make an excellent pot specimen. Does anyone else have these and what kind of results are you getting?

Jeff

[Jeff Searle]

More close up.

[Jeff Searle]

The last close up. You can easily see the flower spike.

Jeff

[calyptrocalyx&licuala freck]

Hi Jeff,

looks nice, I'll check some of my Rhapis beautys

have pic's of.    

                               Regards mikey.

[Walter John]

Lil' rippers Jeff, I wonder what name they come under. ???

[cfkingfish]

Jeff-

I have a few of those I am rooting into one gallons. They are not too tough to grow and suckers can be separated successfully even though they are small. I'll have to get a picture of mine sometime. It is too friggin cold now.

[SubTropicRay]

Jeff ,

This ones not overly attractive to me.  For a dwarf Rhapis, R. subtilis is a bit more appealing.

[richtrav]

Is it the same one Asiatica sells?

http://asiaticanursery.com/product....d04d5c4

[Zac in NC]

Neat one Jeff. Thanks for sharing.

Zac

[LJG]

You have some nice plants. These are a good example. I noticed "OR" on your price sheet. What do you sell these for?

Also, if you get a chance, can you answer my PM on a few other things.

Thanks.

[PalmGuyWC]

Hi Jeff,

I purchased one of your dwarf Rhapis at the S. Florida palm sale last Nov. I swore to myself that I wouldn't buy any palms because of the difficulty of getting them back to California, but when I saw your little beauties for sale, I couldn't resist.  The day before I returned to Calif. I washed all the soil off the roots and I was surprised at what a nice root system it had.  I carefully wrapped the roots with a moist paper towel, then wrapped in newspaper, then in a couple of plastic baggys, then packed in my suitcase.

It arrived in Calif. unscaved, and I potted it up immediately into a like sized container. (1 gal).  Since I surmised that it might come from Borneo, and might be tropical, it's been sitting in a sunny window inside my house since it's arrivel in Calif. It has never lost a frond and has continued to grow slowly.  (Nothing grows much inside or outside during our cool Calif. winters and short days). It will go outside along with the rest of my Rhapis under lathe once our night time temps. stay above 50F.

I'll keep you posted on how it does with our cool night Calif. temps this summer.  I was going to divide mine since it was unpotted, but all the canes were very close together and it looked impossible to divide, so I left it intact. I sure wish we could find the name of this Rhapis, and I agree, I think it's the smallest palm I have ever seen...Mine is blooming too. It's certainly something a Rhapis collector like myself could not pass up.

Dick

[JD in the OC]

I tried one indoors in poor light and airflow (which most rhapis don't mind) and it suffered and died.  Does much better outside in shade.

Just my experience....

[Ken Johnson]

Hey Ray, I have a subtilis that is 10' tall!

[BS Man about Palms]

Jeff! Its so cute! Do you have to burp it?  

[Kamipalms]

(Jeff Searle @ Feb. 17 2007,10:44)

QUOTE

More close up.

Gee they make those pencils  BIG in Florida

[Jeff Searle]

(BS, Man about Palms @ Feb. 17 2007,23:06)

QUOTE

Jeff! Its so cute! Do you have to burp it?  

Bill,

  Only when I sell a plant to the new proud owners.I explain it to them.

Jeff

[PalmGuyWC]

Jeff,

Some questions about your "super dwarf" Rhapis:  Did you start yours from one clone or several? Do you know if they came from one clone from their point of origon, or were they seed grown? The flowers on the one you have pictured appear to be female, as did the one I purchased.  Any ideas?  Also, is it known where these palms originated, what location?  I'm just wondering if it's a species or a "sport."  It looks suspiciously like a dwarf cone of R. Subtilis or something very closely related.

My non palm friends look at me and say "You paid WHAT for THAT?? They look at me like I'm crazy!!  Maybe I am, but I still love this super baby.

Dick

[Jeff Searle]

Dick,

    My first plants came from Jeff M. After I grew them for awhile, I realised they could be split up rather easily. So now, I have many, and really love them. So, I really don't have any info. to share. I have no idea on where they came from or, if it's a species or not. I suspect it's a sport  from another Rhapis, but just really don't know.

Jeff

[eastern.nurseries]

Jeff,

If this palm is the same as yours, I was told it was Rhapis Indonesia from Sumatra and I think it was collected by the people from Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens. It seems to be fairly tropical in its requirements and doesn't like too much shade. The plants I have, have only reached 6" max in height. It  reminds me of Rhapis subtilis in some ways!

The palms pictured above and below are in a 4" pot.

[calyptrocalyx&licuala freck]

Just thought I would share this picture with everyone,

This is a true 'sp' and Mature.

This picture was just after coming out of Quarantine,

now this plant has replaced foliage I'll get an up dated picture soon.  Those leaflets are smaller that a blade of grass.  Lovely plant.

            Regards  Mike.E

[calyptrocalyx&licuala freck]

i hope this one works

[Moose]

On ‎2‎/‎16‎/‎2007‎ ‎8‎:‎46‎:‎03‎, Jeff Searle said:

The last close up. You can easily see the flower spike.

Jeff

Have they ever produced viable seed for you?

[PalmatierMeg]

I am under the impression that this Super Dwarf variety is all female. Finally, on my third try, I've gotten one of these to grow for me and it's reached the nosebleed height of 6".

[Jeff Searle]

7 hours ago, Moose said:

Have they ever produced viable seed for you?

No, they seem to be all of the same sex. But these can be easily split up.

[DCA_Palm_Fan]

So I was going through old threads about this palm, and since this seems the most appropriate one, I'll post this here.

 

Late spring of 2017 I purchased a very small Rhapis.  Funny thing is I can not remember exactly from where. It could have been from on here, or it could have been Ebay.  What I remember about the purchase though is that it was separated from its "mother plant" and it needed time to gain some of its own roots.  Anyway, when I got it sometime in May/ June of 2017, it only had 3 small typical rhapis  "fan" like fronds, the largest of which had split into 3, divided down to the petiole.  Since then it has had its ups and downs.  The downs mostly were from little nibbling mouths of kitties eating back its leaves a bit.   I moved to South central west FL at the end of August 2017, and it found a home on my east facing patio where it got moring sun for several hours. (4-6)   Over the last year and a half it has seemed to  love its spot there, save for nibbling attempts from kitties, most of which I stopped and completely stopped when it got raised up on a plant stand.   It has grown very nicely, steadily, but its almost painfully slow.   It currently holds 7 fronds varying from 3-5 deep divisions.  The last kitty nibbled leaf is now the oldest on it.  The entire plant from base of trunk to tip of new spear stands 6 & 5/8ths inches.   I do not know the exact species of Rhapis this is, but I'm guessing it belongs to / is a dwarf.    Can anyone give a more concrete ID on this?    Much appreciated.  Photos below. 

 

 

[Pal Meir]

@DCA_Palm_Fan

It is impossible to give a reliable ID at this stage, but it is definitely not a dwarf Rhapis. It looks to me like Rhapis subtilis/siamensis or maybe multifida:

 

Your palm is even bigger than my Rhapis micrantha offshoots:

PS
You should fill up the pot with moss or old leaves.

 

[Jeff Searle]

52 minutes ago, Pal Meir said:

@DCA_Palm_Fan

It is impossible to give a reliable ID at this stage, but it is definitely not a dwarf Rhapis. It looks to me like Rhapis subtilis/siamensis or maybe multifida:

 

Your palm is even bigger than my Rhapis micrantha offshoots:

PS
You should fill up the pot with moss or old leaves.

 

I would agree. And it doesn't have the "look" to it either.

[Alicehunter2000]

Since we are on the subject of small Rhapis. I bought this one from Ken Johnson over 5 years ago. He told me at the time it was from a lady down there that was a collector. I can't remember much more than that. It is more cold hardy than regular excelsa and really pretty and dainty. It only holds 3 leaflets. 

[Alicehunter2000]

[DCA_Palm_Fan]

3 hours ago, Pal Meir said:

@DCA_Palm_Fan

It is impossible to give a reliable ID at this stage, but it is definitely not a dwarf Rhapis. It looks to me like Rhapis subtilis/siamensis or maybe multifida:

 

Your palm is even bigger than my Rhapis micrantha offshoots:

PS
You should fill up the pot with moss or old leaves.

 

Wow ok.  Its just so tiny and so slow!!!  LOL.   It def looks like Multifida based on your photos above, and now that I think about it that is what it was sold as and I got it on Ebay.   So far its very happy and is even suckering at this young age.  Do Multifida grow slower than most other Rhapis?  It seems like a snail compared to an R. Excelsa that I got at about the same size a few years ago and that thing is now turning into a small tree.    Thanks for the help Pal!  Much Appreciated! 

[Alicehunter2000]

For me multifida is much faster and colder hardy than excelsa.

[DCA_Palm_Fan]

Part 1 of 2  -- Decided to revive this thread.  First some new photos of the little palm that I purchased in 2017, that everyone here says is not a dwarf.   I'm still not sure what it is, but in as far as I can tell  now that it has grown a little it looks like Rhapis siamensis.    Maybe one of you with a better trained eye that I will be able to tell better.   what say you? 

 

 

[DCA_Palm_Fan]

Part 2 of 2

 

There are two clumps  in a local palmetum (palm arboretum) that are Labeled "Rhapis Multifida", however they couldn't be more different.  One of them looks much more like what I have and is at best 5 feet all or so, with tiny fans.   The other is the large, classic looking Multifida, with large fans and is 6-10 feet tall or so.   These palms do not appear the same (same species) to me.  Am I completely wrong here? is there this much variability in one species?  Or are these as I suspect, two different species?     First photos are of the very small palm that looks more like what I have than it does Multifida. 

 

 

Next  photos are of the more regular / classing looking tall Rhapis Multifida