Calamus paspalanthus

Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs) paspalanthus (pahs-pahl-AHN-tuhs)
Scientific Classification
Genus: Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs) Species: paspalanthus (pahs-pahl-AHN-tuhs)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Asia
Morphology
Habit: Solitary Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
Wi Singkau (Ib.), Rotan Sanjat; (Indonesia)

Habitat and Distribution

Borneo. Rare in Brunei; elsewhere throughout Borneo, local in Peninsular Malaysia.

Photo-Malaysian Biological Diversity.

Description

Solitary moderate rattan, usually short-stemmed but rarely climbing to 20 m, frequently flopping to the ground and producing roots at a position about 1 cm below each node; stem without sheaths 10-15 mm in diam., with sheaths to about 40 mm in diam., internodes usually rather short to 12 cm long. Sheath dull dark purplish-brown due to abundant persistent scales, armed with large dark spines 3-5 cm long except around the sheath mouth where very much larger and ± erect to 10 cm; knee very conspicuous, bulbous, grossly swollen; ocrea very long, up to about 1 m, straw-coloured, fragile and papery, quickly disintegrating to leave almost no trace. Flagellum to 2 m long. Leaf ecirrate, to 2 m including petiole to 80 cm, but often much less; rachis covered with red-brown hairs; leaflets numerous, up to 100 on each side of the rachis, very close and regular, delicate in texture, to 30 × 1 cm, densely bristly on the lower surface. Inflorescences to 5 m or more, including the terminal flagellum; bracts tightly sheathing at the base but thin, papery and disintegrating at the tips; rachillae held at right angles to the partial inflorescence axis. Flowers strictly distichous. Fruit ± spherical, to 18 × 16 mm, covered in c. 15 vertical rows of smooth, red-brown scales with paler shiny margins. Seed ± anvil-shaped with two sharp wings, the sarcotesta extremely sour. Seedling leaf pinnate with numerous leaflets and reddish-brown hairy rachis. (J. Dransfield, The Rattans of Brunei Darussalam. 1997)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.

C. paspalanthus is such a strange species that there should be no difficulty in distinguishing it. (J. Dransfield, The Rattans of Brunei Darussalam. 1997)/Palmweb.

Comments and Curiosities

Etymology: Referring to the superficial resemblance of the male rachillae in flower, to a grass inflorescence.

Uses: The cane is ± useless as it shrinks and is frequently marred by the adventitious roots. The fruit is usually much appreciated for its sourness. Seedlings would make fine ornamentals.