Female Rhapis humilis

[eastern.nurseries]

Since I joined this forum a few palmtalkers have stated that female Rhapis humilis does not exist in the USA or even here in OZ. Well here is an image of such a being

[PalmGuyWC]

OK, I'll eat my hat.  I hope you can set some seeds.

Dick

[Orlando]

So far, to my knowledge, there are no female Rhapis humilis ANYWHERE in the world...

Some seeds / plants that have shown around come from crosses, often with multifida or excelsa.

Might this be the case, Jon?

[eastern.nurseries]

I would say Orlando, that your knowledge of this palm is obviously lacking

[Phil]

Growers and collectors have been saying for years that no females exist.  I've often thought this viewpoint is quite limited and at the least speculation.  When Tobias sold seeds a year or two ago of "Rhapis humilus", growers said to themselves "who knows for sure".  Jon, you are the expert on Rhapis and this is good news.  Can you tell us more on the history of this plant?   If you disagree with Orlando's question, educate him so we can all learn.

Phil

[Walter John]

Yeh come on teach, bring it on.

[Kris]

Dear Friends of the forum  

why waste time arguing if its there or not ! all one has to do

is simply propogate and save some time and energy for our

palm gardening !  

And Jon,thanks for the visuals_i enjoyed seeing it !  

Love,

Kris  

[Orlando]

(Phil @ Jun. 18 2007,14:57)

QUOTE

Growers and collectors have been saying for years that no females exist.  I've often thought this viewpoint is quite limited and at the least speculation.  When Tobias sold seeds a year or two ago of "Rhapis humilus", growers said to themselves "who knows for sure".  Jon, you are the expert on Rhapis and this is good news.  Can you tell us more on the history of this plant?   If you disagree with Orlando's question, educate him so we can all learn.

Phil

Yep, I have always read that they are unknown in the wild and that there are no known female specimens in cultivation  

I'd quote, for instance, a knowledgeable person like Lynn McKamey, from her article in Principes:

Rhapis palms

[merrill]

Gentlemen:

Please do successive backcrosses with the male and thereby resurrect something VERY close to the missing Rhapis.  This was once a plan for that rare male only African Cycad.  Anybody know if there was follow-through in that situation?  Best Wishes,  merrill

[PalmGuyWC]

I have two plants about a foot high of a cross of R. multifida X humilis.  One looks more like multifida and the other like humilis.  The cross was done by Louis Hooper from S. Calif. I'm hoping that one will be a female, but it will be many years away before they bloom. One has two pups on it and the other is just forming some. I'm sure there are some others of this plant scattered around, so maybe they can be crossed with R. Humilis one of these years. Actually, I have 3 of this plant but one is so anemic and sick looking that I doubt if it will survive.

Dick

[alan.oz]

Laura Hastings from Kew in an article in Palms "A revision of Rhapis,the Lady Palms" Volume 47(2) June 2003 pg70 reports the existance of a representative specimen female Rhapis humilis from Mt.Omei South China.

[Orlando]

(alan.oz @ Jun. 19 2007,01:17)

QUOTE

Laura Hastings from Kew in an article in Palms "A revision of Rhapis,the Lady Palms" Volume 47(2) June 2003 pg70 reports the existance of a representative specimen female Rhapis humilis from Mt.Omei South China.

Thanks much, Alan, I had not got that information!

We now know that, at least, there is a female specimen in the wild to ensure their normal propagation by seed.

However, if that plant was only discovered 4 or 5 years ago, there must be no mature plants grown from their seeds yet, I guess... ???

[chris.oz]

I would refer members to other threads on this species recently.  I understand from recent posts that pure R. humilis seed exists and was imported into Australia some 15-20 years ago.   Numerous mature palms from this seed exist in collections.  Its just that so far no one has found a female out of that batch...until now.

I own 5 plants including 3 plants of known separate sources.  One has flowered and is male.   I await the flowering of the others.

Jon, if you want  pollen at any time,  let me know.   On the other hand if you have a decent sized offset of a confirmed  female plant I would be interested.

[eastern.nurseries]

Thanks for the offer Chris. I have a male Hakuseiden that I am pollinating it with at present. In spring I will cut some canes off the female and let you know when they are ready.

[chris.oz]

(eastern.nurseries @ Jun. 19 2007,07:20)

QUOTE

Thanks for the offer Chris. I have a male Hakuseiden that I am pollinating it with at present. In spring I will cut some canes off the female and let you know when they are ready.

A second clump of my R. humilis has just flowered and is male.  That leaves only 2 more clumps which have not flowered ,  but I am beginning to think that my clumps may have been broken from one big clump and will all be male.

I have found that R. humilis grows well in quite dense shade, like under a Pittosporum undulatum   but only really prospers and flowers when it sees full sun,  at least for part of the day, at some time in the year.

Jon,   sorry.... I almost missed the opportunity to send you the pollen.   I have a big one and it may still have pollen in it.  Do you have a receptive female at the moment?

[ianedwards]

Jon, you have beaten me to it! In 1992 I bought six seedlings of Rhapis humilis from an outfit called China Trading Company at Alstonville in northern NSW, where they ran a nursery on the side, selling mainly Rhapis excelsa. They had been grown from seed. When I said that female humilis were said not to exist I was told that there were plenty in China. I have been hopefully waiting for flowers, but the only clump to flower so far is male.

[ianedwards]

Sorry folks, wrong picture Try again!

[merrill]

Hi, Ian:

Just goes to show there are still some undiscovered wonders on this old planet!

Haven't heard of or from you for ages - hope you are well!

Best Wishes,

merrill

[merrill]

Hi, Ian:

Just goes to show there are still some undiscovered wonders on this old planet!

Haven't heard of or from you for ages - hope you are well!

Best Wishes,

merrill

[eastern.nurseries]

The female in post No1 is unique because it flowered in three years from seed and it flowered in Autumn. It flowered again this Spring. I was unable to set seed on the autumn flower due to low temperatures, the pollen wouldn't germinate. The Spring flowering coincided with the main flowering period of the humilis collection and climatic conditions where suitable so seed has been set. My other humilis females have always flowered and set in this spring/summer period. Contrary to Lyn Mckamey's statement, that Rhapis don't like temperatures over 37 C, I have found the best seed set to occur at or above this temperature coupled with high humidity. I would also say female humilis are not common, it seems in my gene pool maybe 5-7% of the seedlings are female.

[PalmGuyWC]

Something I have observed over the years is that R. excelsa thrives in S. Florida while R. humilis is not nearly as robust as the ones grown in S. Calif. The hedges of R. humilis growing around the Huntington library are the finest examples of R. humilis I've seen anywhere. It must be that R. humilis prefers cooler night temps.

I have some R. multifida and they seem to resent extream summer heat.  Some of mine were sent into shock from a heat wave two years ago, and they still haven't recovered.

Dick

[eastern.nurseries]

Dick, I don't think it is the high temperatures they dislike but the low humidity they resent.

[Tad]

which Rhapis is this?

I am afraid Rhapis is definatley not one of my strong points.

[Gaston in Argentina]

Female Raphis humilis

This is a very interesting topic, tell us more about this, i was

convinced there were not females of this specie in all the world.-

[eastern.nurseries]

Post 23 looks like subtilis but I need to see the canes and base of plant to be sure as the leaf looks a little like gracilis.

I think the myth of all Rhapis humilis being male is something that has come out of the States. Don't know why, other than the original importations where all male. Roehrs' sold humilis plants in the sixties and seventies - were they all divisions? Specimen House sells seed grown humilis in California. So they are about. My Rhapis humilis seed comes from Japan not China. The Japanese have the best gene pool of humilis anywhere on the planet. And any other Rhapis for that mater. One type I have from Hikkaido has a unique leaf shape and very thin blades, I'm told  it has been cultivated there for five hundred years and is annually covered in snow. I only have two plants of this type and in the two years they have been out of quarantine, are now just starting to flush with new growth.