Calamus formosanus

Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs)
formosanus (fohr-moh-SAHN-uhs)

Scientific Classification

Genus:	Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs)
Species:	formosanus (fohr-moh-SAHN-uhs)

Synonyms

None set.

Native Continent

Asia

Morphology

Habit:	Clustering
Leaf type:	Pinnate

Culture

Survivability index

Common names

Huang-teng.

Habitat and Distribution

Taiwan, widely distributed in lowland to montane rainforest, to 1000 m elevation.

Taiwan. Photo by Adam.

Description

Stems clustered, to 20 m long and 5 cm diameter (with leaf sheaths); leaf sheaths yellowish-brown, densely covered with flattened, yellowish, upward-pointing spines to 2 cm long; knees prominent, swollen, spiny; ocreas short or absent; flagella absent; petioles short or absent; pinnae 18-19 per side of rachis, broadly lanceolate, irrregularly arranged (regularly arranged on young plants), distantly spaced 5-8 cm apart; cirri present. Inflorescence bracts tightly sheathing; fruits pedicellate, ellipsoid, to 2 cm long and 1 cm diameter, yellowish-brown. (W.J. Baker, A New Species of Calamus (Palmae) from Taiwan in Taiwania 50(3). 2005)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.

The type of C. formosanus, and the illustration and description of Beccari (1908, 1913), show a palm with irregularly arranged, distantly spaced, broadly lanceolate pinnae, and the rachis ending in a cirrus. This is identical with the isotype of Calamus quinquesetinervius and an image of the type and illustration of C. orientalis. Calamus formosanus was placed by Beccari (1908) in Group XV, and appears to be a member of the C. palustris group of species. (W.J. Baker, A New Species of Calamus (Palmae) from Taiwan in Taiwania 50(3). 2005)/Palmweb.