Calamus gibbsianus
Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs) gibbsianus (gibbs'-ee-AHN-uhs) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ex Mesilau, Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb. | |||||||
Scientific Classification | |||||||
| |||||||
Synonyms | |||||||
| |||||||
Native Continent | |||||||
| |||||||
Morphology | |||||||
| |||||||
Culture | |||||||
| |||||||
Survivability index | |||||||
| |||||||
Common names | |||||||
|
Contents
Habitat and Distribution
Borneo. In Sarawak known only from one collection from the Kelabit Highlands. Elsewhere in montane forest on Kinabalu and the Crocker Range at elevations of 1400-3000 m.
Description
Slender clustering montane rattan climbing to 8 m, rarely more, very rarely ± stemless; stem without sheaths 4-8 mm in diam., with sheaths 7-30 mm in diam., internodes short, rarely exceeding 10 cm. Sheaths dull mid to dark green, sparsely to densely armed with pale green spines to 7 mm, occasionally also with minute spicules arranged in partial whorls, sheaths and spines all densely covered in brown indumentum; knee conspicuous; ocrea inconspicuous to well developed, armed with groups of spicules or bristles. Flagellum to 1 m, rarely absent. Leaf ecirrate, on climbing stems to 70 cm, more in stemless forms; petiole 3-18 cm, sparsely to densely armed; rachis covered with rusty-brown hairs; leaflets regularly arranged, 6 - 20 on each side of the rachis, distant to crowded, lanceolate, mid-leaf leaflets 45 -200 x 7 - 25 mm, usually very densely covered with minute spine-like papillae or short bristles on the undersurface and occasionally also on the upper surface, always with a dense tuft of orange to red-brown hairs on the under surface at the leaflet base. Inflorescence usually to about 1m long, with 1-4 partial inflorescences to about 10 cm, strongly recurved and bearing short recurved rachillae, large conspicuous bracteoles and relatively large flowers. Mature fruit spherical to ovoid, to 16 x 12 mm, tipped by a short beak to 1 x 1 mm and covered in 15 - 18 vertical rows of pale brown, black-edged scales; seed ovoid to ± oblong, to 14 x 7 mm, deeply pitted and grooved; endosperm subruminate. Seedling leaf pinnate with c. 6 leaflets. (J. Dransfield, The Rattans of Sarawak. 1992)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.
C. gibbsianus is a very polymorphic species and reaches the highest altitude of any palm in Borneo. It has a characteristic inflorescence with strongly curved branches bearing conspicuous saucerlike bracteoles below the flowers or fruit, and the leaflets always have a conspicuous tuft of reddish-brown hair on the under surface at the base. (J. Dransfield, The Rattans of Sarawak. 1992)/Palmweb.
Culture
Comments and Curiosities
Etymology: specific epithet in honor of Lillian Suzette Gibbs, 1870 - 1925, plant collector who made an important expedition to Kinabalu.
Uses: In Sabah, used for general tying and weaving, by successive expeditions to Kinabalu.
Calamus gibbsianus is found only in montane forest on kinabalu from 1400 – 3000 m altitude. It is also the palms which reach the highest elevation in Kinabalu (and indeed in Southeast Asia). This appears to be the highest altitude palm on Kinabalu, outdoing the Pinanga by 100 m or so (to 3000 m). It is a very polymorphic species, with some of the forms from lower altitudes being very delicate, while forms from exposed ultrabasic rock.
External Links
References
Phonetic spelling of Latin names by edric.
Special thanks to Geoff Stein, (Palmbob) for his hundreds of photos.
Special thanks to Palmweb.org, Dr. John Dransfield, Dr. Bill Baker & team, for their volumes of information and photos.
Glossary of Palm Terms; Based on the glossary in Dransfield, J., N.W. Uhl, C.B. Asmussen-Lange, W.J. Baker, M.M. Harley & C.E. Lewis. 2008. Genera Palmarum - Evolution and Classification of the Palms. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. All images copyright of the artists and photographers (see images for credits).
J. Dransfield, The Rattans of Sarawak. 1992
Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.