Calamus muricatus

Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs) muricatus (moor-ih-KAH-tuhs)
Mandaron, Brunei Darussalam (Borneo). Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs) Species: muricatus (moor-ih-KAH-tuhs)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Asia
Morphology
Habit: Solitary Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
Wi Tunggal (Ib.)

Habitat and Distribution

Widespread throughout Brunei. Elsewhere in Sabah, Sarawak and Kalimantan.

Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, Pattaya, Thailand. Photo by Dr. Scott Zona.

Endemic to Borneo.

Description

Solitary slender to moderate rattan climbing to 10 m tall; stem without sheaths to 15 mm diam., with sheaths to 25 mm, internodes c. 10 cm long. Sheaths bright green, very densely armed with close wavy circular ridges bearing minute tooth-like prickles and an abundance of broad triangular spines varying from 1-10 mm long, the sheath drying dull brown with a reddish cast; knee conspicuous, armed as the sheath; ocrea inconspicuous, rarely exceeding 5 mm. Flagellum to 3 m. Leaf ecirrate, curving, to 1.1 m including the well developed petiole to 40 cm, armed with triangular spines and ridges near the base; leaflets up to c. 30 on each side of the rachis, regularly arranged, generally curving, to 35 × 2 cm, dark green, armed with rather conspicuous bristles on the 3 main veins on both upper and lower surface and along margins, leaflets drying dull brownish with a reddish cast. Inflorescences to 3 m, with c. 4 partial inflorescences; primary bracts slightly to densely armed as the leaf sheath but with a few flat papery spines at the tip; partial inflorescences generally congested in appearance, rarely exceeding c. 20 cm, with many crowded rachillae; male rachilla to 2 cm, the female to 10 cm; rachilla bracts minutely ridged. Mature fruit rounded, c. 9 mm diam., with a short beak to 1 × 0.8 mm and covered in c. 14 vertical rows of pale brown scales. Seed rounded, c. 5 mm diam.; endosperm deeply ruminate. Seedling leaf not known. (J. Dransfield, The Rattans of Brunei Darussalam. 1997)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.

C. muricatus has been collected in lowland and hill dipterocarp forest; in Brunei it appears to favour forest on poorer soils. There are four flagellate species in Brunei in which the leaf sheaths are conspicuously ridged and spiny. C. lambirensis is immediately distinguished by its large flowers and lax inflorescence. C. divaricatus var. divaricatus has opposite, strongly divergent leaflets. There should be no problem in identifying these taxa. Problems are more likely to occur with distinguishing C. zonatus, C. muricatus and C. ruvidus. C. muricatus generally has a well developed petiole and numerous linear leaflets which on drying have a reddish cast; the inflorescence has distinctly congested branches, bracts tipped with papery spines and the endosperm is ruminate. C. zonatus is usually more slender, often lacks a petiole and the rather broader leaflets dry dirty green; the inflorescence has lax branching, the bracts lack papery spines and the endosperm is homogeneous. C. ruvidus is still rather poorly known; it is similar to C. muricatus but much more robust, with much larger inflorescences; the mature fruit is not known but the endosperm is probably homogeneous. (J. Dransfield, The Rattans of Brunei Darussalam. 1997)/Palmweb.

Culture

Cold Hardiness Zone: 10a

Comments and Curiosities

Etymology: From the Latin; Rough with short hard points.