Volume 11 > Part 3 > Year 2013 > Page 359 > Arecaceae > Calamus

17. Calamus flagellum Griff. ex Mart.wfo-0000755864

Hist. Nat. Palm. 3: 333. 1853; Evans et al., A Field Guide to the Rattans of Lao PDR: 54. 2001.— Palmijuncus flagellum (Griff. ex Mart.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 733. 1891.

Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.

Synonyms & Citations :

Description : Robust clustering rattan. Stems climbing to 30 m or more long, without sheaths 1.5–3 cm diam., with sheaths 3.5–5 cm diam.; internodes to 30 cm. Leaves ecirrate; sheaths generally not splitting opposite the petiole, greenish-yellow with reddish-brown indumentum and very densely armed with a variety of different spine types, large flattened straw coloured spines to 6 cm long, with paler swollen bases tending to be arranged in groups, and abundant small black spicules to 0.5 cm long scattered or in groups, spines around the leaf sheath mouth ± erect, to 10 cm long; ocrea to 15 cm long, covered in black spicules, split to form two auricles on each side of the petiole, soon splitting further, tattering and disintegrating; knee present but rather poorly developed and partially obscured by spines; flagellum massive, to 6 m long; petiole 30–70 cm long, armed as the leaf sheath but more sparsely; leaf rachis to 2 m long; leaflets to 35 on each side of the rachis, regularly arranged, rather distant, lanceolate, the largest 60–70 by 3.5–4.5 cm, conspicuous black bristles present along the main vein on both surfaces and along margins. Inflorescences male and female superficially similar, the male branched to 3 orders, the female to 2 orders, with 6 or more very distant pendulous partial inflorescences, to 60 cm long; male rachillae 9 by 0.25 cm; female rachillae to 13 by 0.4 cm. Mature fruit ovoid, 2.5–3 by 1.1–1.8 cm, covered with 12–13 vertical rows of channelled scales; seed ovoid, ca 2 by 1.4 cm; endosperm ruminate.

Thailand : NORTHERN: Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Tak; CENTRAL: Nakhon Nayok.

Distribution : India (Assam – type) to China (Yunnan), Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam.

Ecology : On hill slopes in evergreen forests, to 1,000 m alt.

Vernacular : Not known

Uses: Edible shoot.

Conservation Status: Probably not threatened although it has declined in parts of it range due to over-exploitation.

Notes: A very robust flagellate species with regularly arranged leaflets and sheaths armed with small spicules and large flattened black spines with swollen bases.