Calamus thwaitesii
Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs) thwaitesii (tweh-TEHS-ee) | |||||||
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Mollem National Park, Karnataka, India. | |||||||
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Contents
Habitat and Distribution
INDIA (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Maharastra, Karnataka), SRI LANKA. Frequent in moist forest, on slopes and high valleys of the Western Ghats.Description
C. thwaitesii Cane is a strong climber, about 10 m or more long. Stems are clustered, climbing, up to 6 cm in diameter. Leaf sheaths are yellow-green with brown hairs, with ridges of black, strongly flattened, up to 4 cm long spines, interspersed among many short spines. Flagella are present, up to 9 m long. Leaf rachis is up to 3 m long, with up to 30 lance shaped leaflets per side, irregularly arranged. Flower clusters are up to 7 m long, flagellate. Fruits are ovoid, up to 2.5 cm long and 1.5 cm in diameter, dull orange or yellowish brown.
Robust, clustering, high climbing canes; stem to 10 m or more in length. Leaves up to 3 m long, ecirrate; petioles up to 35 cm long, yellowish, spiny; rachis yellowish, spiny; leaf sheath yellow, densely spiny, spines arising from a raised, rim-like surface, flat, up to 3 x 0.7 cm, black with yellow base; knee and ocrea absent; flagellum up to 9 m long; leaflets irregularly distributed or in groups of 2 or 3-linear-lanceolate, up to 80 x 45 cm with bristles along margins and upper side of midvein. Inflorescence up to 6 m long, flagellate; flowers in male distichous. Fruits ovoid, beaked, ca 2 x 1.3 cm; scales in 12 vertical rows, channeled along the middle, yellow with deep brown margins. Endosperm not ruminate.
A strong climber, about 10 m or more long; stem cluster forming, with leafsheath to 4.5 cm in diameter; exposed stem smooth, yellowish green with 30 - 40 cm long internodes. Leaves ecirrate, about 4 m long in full grown plants; leafsheath and petiole covered with light brown felt-like coating, armed with series of flattened, broad-based, blackish spines jointed at their base; ocrea absent; rachis channelled above, armed with groups of flattened straight spines on upper side and recurved claws with black tips, most conspicuous on lower side; leaflets elongate, ensiform, basal leaflets in groups of 2 - 3 leaflets on each side of the rachis; middle and upper leaflets to 80 cm long, to 5 cm wide at middle, more or less regular and equidistant on rachis with conspicuous black bristles on margins; terminal leaflets smallest, jointed at their base. Male and female inflorescences flagelliform, simply branched; partial inflorescences 60-80 cm long, with 40 - 50 cm space in between the partial inflorescences; axial portion of the partial inflorescences armed with whorls of black tipped claws; primary bract funnel-shaped, lacerate at mouth; secondary bracts on their exposed parts covered with small spines with tuberculateba.se. Male rachillae yellow, flattened, to IS cm long, inserted within the mouth of the respective basal bracts; male flowers distichous, 20-30 in number, narrowly oblong, 8-10 mm x 3 mm, obliquely trigonous at base; calyx campanulate, divided half way into triangular lobes; female rachillae to 30 cm long; bracteoles funnel-shaped, truncate, prolonged on one side into triangular points; involucrophorum cupular; involucre regularly cupular; female flowers ovate,? - 8 mm long; fruiting perianth non-stalked; base of the calyx hardens to form a cushion. Fruits 2.2 x 2.5 cm, ellipsoid to ovoid, suddenly contracted into a solid beak, fruit scales brownish along the margin, broadly channelled at middle, arranged in 12 longitudinal series; seed one, suborbicular, 12 mm x 11 mm; endosperm homogeneous. (J. Dransfield, Rattans (canes) in India. A Monographic Revision. 1992)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.
Culture
Cultivated in the Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah. Experimental cultivation exists in the Kerala Forest Research Institute, Pecchi, Kerala, it is also cultivated in trial plots of the Kodagu Forest Division, Kamataka.
Comments and Curiosities
Etymology: Specific epithet in honor of Dr. G. H. K. Thwaites, British botanist.
Uses: Due to the highly glossy surface and strength, the cane is used for making good quality furniture; one of the most exploited rattans of South India. Because of its bigger girth, strength and other qualities it is being used for making legs of chairs, tables, cots etc. It is also being used for construction of suspension bridges and for making walking-sticks, lathis, and tool handles.
External Links
- Glossary of Palm Terms
- MODERN BOTANICAL LATIN
- "Just To Be Clear"
- Genetic structure of the rattan Calamus thwaitesii in core, buffer and peripheral regions of three protected areas in central Western Ghats, India.
- Micro-cloning of an economic rattan palm Calamus thwaitesii for eco-restoration programme
- Utilization of zygotic embryos of an economic rattan palm Calamus thwaitesii Becc. for somaplant regeneration and cryobanking
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, Rattans (canes) in India. A Monographic Revision. 1992
Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.