Calamus flabellatus

Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs) flabellatus (flah-behl-LAH-tuhs)
Photo-Malaysian Biological Diversity.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs) Species: flabellatus (flah-behl-LAH-tuhs)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Asia
Morphology
Habit: Clustering Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
Wi Takong (Ib.)

Habitat and Distribution

Borneo, Malaya, and Sumatera. Scattered throughout Brunei. Elsewhere throughout Borneo, local in Peninsular

Photo-Malaysian Biological Diversity.

Malaysia and Sumatra.

Description

Slender clustering rattan climbing to 20 m or more; stem without sheaths to 6 mm in diam., with sheaths to 12 mm, internodes to 15 cm. All parts drying dark dirty-coloured. Sheaths dark green with scattered reflexed broad-based spines to 5 mm; knee prominent; ocrea inconspicuous. Flagellum to 2 m. Leaf ecirrate, to 60 cm; petiole short or absent; leaflets 3-4 on each side of the rachis or leaf bearing a single pair of leaflets, lowermost pair of leaflets, where more than 1 pair, to 10 × 1.5 cm, reflexed across the stem; mid leaf leaflets to 17 × 4 cm; apical pair joined for 1/3 to 2/3 their length; leaflets bristly only at the tips, surface bluish-grey tinged, transverse veinlets conspicuous. Inflorescences to about 1.2 m with about 6 partial inflorescences, tending to be longer in the female. Ripe fruit spherical to ovoid, to 11 × 7 mm, with beak to 2 mm, covered in 10-12 vertical rows of greenish scales. Seed ovoid, shallowly pitted; endosperm homogeneous. Seedling leaf not known. (J. Dransfield, The Rattans of Brunei Darussalam. 1997)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.

C. flabellatus is primarily a plant of lowland dipterocarp forest at altitudes up to about 500 m above sea level. Some forms retain the juvenile leaves consisting of a single pair of broad leaflets, even in high-climbing stems. This form was described by Beccari as C. flabellatus. Furtado named those forms with several pairs of leaflets as C. flabelloides. We now have a wide range of specimens of both forms and intermediates have been collected. It is noteworthy that inflorescences have never been found on the form with a single pair of leaflets. This species could be confused with C. javensis and its allies; the inflorescence of C. flabelloides is much finer, young leaves are pale green rather than pinkish and the curious dull bluish-green cast to the leaves of C. flabelloides is absent in C. javensis. C. gonospermus is superficially similar but has well defined petioles. (J. Dransfield, The Rattans of Brunei Darussalam. 1997)/Palmweb.

Culture

Cold Hardiness Zone: 10a

Comments and Curiosities

Etymology: From the Latin; flabellate, literally, fan-shaped.

Uses: An excellent small-diameter cane, useful for binding or weaving.