Clumps dense. Stems to 3 m tall, leafy to the base. Leaves with 5-8 stiffly spreading, divergent, dark green leaflets.
China
One of the best small palms. Adaptable but best appearance in a sheltered situation. Frost hardy. Excellent indoors, tolerating neglect. Cultivars with variegated leaflets are sometimes available.
R. subtilis Becc., Dwarf Lady Palm from Thailand produces dense clumps. Stems to 1 m tall, leafy to base. Leaves with 3-6 relatively broad, stiffly spreading, dark green leaflets. A variable species with several forms, one having 10-13 leaflets, this intergrading into the more common ones with fewer leaflets. Cold sensitive but grown in a warm sheltered position in warm temperate regions. Also excellent indoors.
Source: (2005). Arecaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.
