About Tetrapanax papyrifer (Hook.) K.Koch
Tetrapanax papyrifer grows 3โ7 metres tall, with mostly unbranched stems 2โ9 cm in diameter, and carries a rosette of large leaves at the stem crown. The top of the plant looks superficially similar to many species in the palm family (Arecaceae). Its leaves attach to 40โ60 cm petioles; the round leaf blade is 50โ75 cm across, and can reach 1 metre across in some cultivars. Blades have 5โ12 deeply cut palmate lobes, with larger central lobes that are Y-forked near the tip. This plant spreads widely through underground sprouts and runners from its root system. The inflorescence is a large panicle of hemispherical or globular umbels at the end of the stem. Flowers have 4โ6 small white petals, and the fruit is a small berry 4 mm in diameter. Tetrapanax papyrifer is used in traditional Chinese medicine. It is also cultivated as an ornamental specimen plant, and has earned the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
