Calamus manan

Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs) manan (MAH-nahn)
Photo-Malaysian Biological Diversity.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs) Species: manan (MAH-nahn)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Asia
Morphology
Habit: Solitary Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
rotan manau

Habitat and Distribution

Perak, Selangor, Kelantan, Pahang, Trengganu, Negri Sembilan, Johore. Sumatra, Borneo, and perhaps S. Thailand.

Description

Calamus manan is a robust, single stemmed, high-climbing, dioecious rattan. Plants produce a strong durable cane up to 8 cm in diameter, with internodes to 40 cm in length, and with stems eventually reaching to over 100 m. Growth rates of over 7 m a year have been inferred from observation of plants in Sabah (Dransfield and Tan, pers. obs. 1989), but more usually 1-3 m or more a year. Leaves cirrate to 8 m long including the cirrus to 3 m long. Petiole short, leaflets irregular in juvenile leaves and regular in mature leaves, to 45 on each side of rachis, lanceolate. Inflorescences massive, the male much more finely branched than the female, 70 cm long. Ripe fruit rounded to ovoid, to 2.8 cm long by 2.0 cm wide and covered with 15 vertical rows of yellowish scales with blackish-brown margins. Seed ovoid, to 1.8 cm by 1.2 cm, with finely pitted surface.

Solitary massive high climbing rattan, reaching eventually lengths of over 100 m. Stem without sheaths to 8 cm in diameter, sometimes quite slender (2.5 cm) at the very base, with sheaths to 11 cm in diameter; internodes to 40 cm long. Sheaths dull grey green densely armed with black laminate hairy edged triangular spines arranged in lateral groups or scattered, the largest to J cm long by 1 cm wide at the base, and with numerous much smaller spines to 5 mm long between; spines horizontal or slightly reflexed; thin white wax abundant between spines. Knee conspicuous armed as leaf sheath. Ocrea ill-defined. Leaf cirrate very massive to 8 m long including the cirrus to 3 m long; petiole short, to 12 cm long by 5 cm wide in mature plants, much longer in juveniles armed densely as is the rachis with short triangular spines both on the upper surface and beneath, with scattered grey in dumentum between. Leaflets irregular in juvenile leaves, regular in mature leaves, limply pendulous and versatile, to 45 on each side, pale grey-green, the largest to 60 cm long by 6 cm wide bristly near the tips. Inflorescences massive, the male much more finely branched than the female, to 2.5 m long with up to 9 partial inflorescences on each side to 70 cm long; all bracts rather densely armed with triangular spines to 3 mm high and red-brown in dumentum. Rachillae to 15 cm long. Ripe fruit rounded to ovoid, to 2.8 cm long by 2.0 cm wide shortly beaked, and covered in 15 vertical rows of yellowish scales with blackish brown margins. Seed ovoid, to 1.8 cm long by 1.2 cm wide, with finely pitted surface; endosperm densely and deeply ruminate. Seedling leaf with 2 divergent leaflets cucullate with a waxy blue-grey bloom on a pale dull green surface. (J. Dransfield, A Manual of the rattans of the Malay Peninsula. Malayan Forest Records 29.. 1979)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.

Comments and Curiosities

Etymology: Manan - from manau the Malay name, though apparently Miquel misread manau for manan.

Uses: The premier large size cane, provides furniture of unsurpassed quality. Variable in size and coloration, durable and of great strength and flexibility. C. manan is the premier quality, most sought after rattan for large diameter cane used in the manufacture of furniture. Since 1975, some cultivation trials and small scale plantations have been developed in Sumatera, Java, Peninsular Malaysia, and Borneo.