Read about Fatsia in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
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Fatsia (from a Japanese name). Araliaceae. Halfhardy shrubs or small trees, used for subtropical foliage effects in the North, and planted permanently far South. Fatsia has 2 species, belonging to the Panax series, in which the petals are valvate, while in the Aralia series they are more or less overlapping, but the sides affixed at the base. Within the Panax series, Polyscias has the pedicel articulated under the fl., while in Fatsia and Acanthopanax the pedicel is continuous with the fl. Fatsia is distinguished from the hardier and lessfamiliar but worthy Acanthopanax by the greater length and distinctness of the styles. This genus is doubly interesting as producing the famous rice paper of the Chinese, and two rivals of the castor-oil plant in bold subtropical effects, made by large lvs., the lobes of which spread out like fingers. While fatsias require more care in the North than the hardy aralias, their massive subtropical appearance is highly distinct. A perfect specimen is figured in Gardening 5:133, where W.R. Smith says of F. papyrifera: "This plant produces the beautiful substance known as rice paper; it grows to 10 ft. high, with a st. 4 in. diam., full of white pith like the elder; in a full-grown specimen the pith is about 1 in. diam. It is divided into pieces 3 in. long, and by the aid of a sharp instrument is unrolled, forming the thin, narrow sheets known as rice paper, greatly used by the Chinese for drawing figures of plants and animals, and also for making artificial fls. Until about 1850 the source of this substance was unknown to scientists. The Chinese, on inquiry, gave very fanciful figures and descriptions of it. ... It is destined to be a people's plant, as 1/2in. of the root will grow and form a good plant the first season. It has survived most winters for the past 5 years in Washington, D. C." As associates in groups of bold-habited plants, F. W. Burbidge suggests Polygonum sachalinense, Chamaerops Fortunei and Rodgersia podophylla. For contrast with feathery and cut-leaved foliage, he suggests bamboos, aucubas, cut-leaved maples and various ivies. Fatsia may be grown in the temperate house in the North, outdoors southward. It is easily grown and propagated. The species are unarmed; the very spiny plant sometimes referred to this genus as F. horrida, is treated under Echinopanax, which see. Siebert and Voss declare that most of the plants sold as Fatsia japonica are Aralia spinosa. These plants like shade. Full sunlight for an hour or two in early morning is enough. They should have a shelter-spot, where the wind will not whip their foliage.
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 Fatsia japonica in flower | ||||||||||||||
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| Fatsia japonica | ||||||||||||||
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| Diplofatsia Nakai |
Fatsia is a small genus of three species of evergreen shrubs native to southern Japan and Taiwan. They 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.
Fatsia japonica, known as Fatsi or Japanese Aralia (also occasionally as glossy-leaved paper plant, castor oil plant, fig-leaf palm), is a shrub growing to 3-6 m tall. The leaves have 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. It is native to southern Japan. The name "Fatsi" is older Japanese, meaning 'eight' (in present-day Japanese hachi), referring to the eight lobes. The name "Japanese Aralia" is due to the genus formerly being classified within a broader interpretation of the related genus Aralia in the past (synonyms include Aralia japonica and Aralia sieboldii). It is a popular garden shrub in areas where winters do not fall below about -15°C.
Fatsia oligocarpella, from the Bonin Islands, differs in the lobes on the leaves being less coarsely toothed, but is otherwise very similar. It is naturalised in Hawaii.
Fatsia polycarpa is native to Taiwan. The leaves have 9-13 deep, narrow lobes, divided nearly to the base of the leaf. Some authors treat it in a separate genus, as Diplofatsia polycarpa.
A sterile hybrid between Fatsia japonica and Hedera hibernica, named × Fatshedera lizei, has been produced in cultivation in western Europe.
Some species formerly included in Fatisa are now classified in other genera. Fatsia papyrifera is now Tetrapanax papyrifer and Fatsia horrida is now Oplopanax horridus.
A small Fatsia japonica leaf
Close-up of flower umbel
