Tetrapanax papyrifer

The rice-paper plant is an evergreen shrub or small tree in the ivy or Araliaceae family and is native to Taiwan but is widely cultivated in East Asia. It grows to 2–4 m tall. Rice paper is made from the pith of the stems.

• The plant has usually unbranched stems 2 cm diameter with a rosette of large leaves at the top (superficially similar to a palm crown); it spreads extensively underground, sending up sprouts.
• Leaves are very large, orbicular, 30–50 cm across, deeply serrated, 5–14 lobed, the central lobes larger and Y-forked near the end, colour gray green; petioles are 40–60 cm long.
• Flowers are in large, loose, globose panicles up to 0.8 m long, with 4–5 petal white flowers, blooming in fall.
• Fruit is a small drupe.