Calamus viminalis
Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs) viminalis (vihm-ee-NAHL-iss) | |||||||
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Indonesia, Jáva, Velké Sundy. | |||||||
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Contents
Habitat and Distribution
India (South, North-central, North-east, Andaman and Nicobar Islands), Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand (all parts), Laos (all parts), Vietnam (Cochinchina and Central Annam), Cambodia, Peninsular Malaysia, Indonesia (Java and Bali). Also probably China (North-west and South Yunnan). Scrub, village margins, forest edge and (locally) inside tropical moist forest, 0 - 600 m. In secondary forests of Chittagong, Chittagong Hill tracts, Cox's Bazar and Sylhet. Lowland rain forests or deciduous forests, persisting in cleared areas and often present near villages, sometimes planted; below 600 m. Yunnan (Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia (Bali, Java, Sumatra), Laos, Malaysia (Peninsular), Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam).Description
A climbing palm, has pale yellow (in its native state) fruits, about 0.5 cm across, resembling small, pointed cones, arranged in a raceme. These are known as “canella berries” in the potpourri trade. This palm also yields “palm spirals,” either as a tubular spiral or pyramidal spiral, the individual stems 0.5-1 cm wide, the entire spirals 5-10 cm high. Editing by edric.
A large, climbing rottan; clustering to form dense clumps. Leaves 1.5-2m long; leaflets distinctly grouped in fasicles, spinulose beneath; rachis and petiole with scattered short hooked spines. Spadix very long, covered with long spathes, Fruits: globose.
Stems clustered, climbing or often forming thickets, to 35 m, to 4 cm in diam. Leaf sheaths green with dense covering of grayish or brownish hairs, with scattered, greenish or brownish, triangular, flattened spines to 4.5 cm; ocreas present; knees present; flagella to 5 m; rachis to 1.3 m with 32-55 lanceolate pinnae per side, these gray-green, distinctly clustered and spreading in different planes, apical ones usually smaller than others; middle pinnae 15-35 cm, 1-1.5 cm wide at mid-point, adaxial and abaxial main vein prominently bristly; cirri absent. Inflorescences to 3 m, flagellate; inflorescence bracts tubular. Fruits whitish or yellowish, globose, to 1 cm in diam., sometimes borne in pairs.
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The nominate variety is reported only from Java and variety fasciculatus from mainland South-east Asia. Beccari (1908) noted that the two varieties could 'hardly be separated by constant characters' but went on to state that the mainland forms could be subdivided into four subvarieties, two of which were based upon single specimens, and all distinct in differing ways from the Javan form. Without explanation Gagnepain & Conrard (1937) and Basu (1992) between them synonymised with the nominate form variety fasciculatus and three of the four subvarieties, whilst some other authors have continued to recognise var. fasciculatus (e.g. Furtado 1956, Dransfield 1979, Dransfield & Manokaran 1993, Pei et al. 1991). We have examined material from throughout the species' range (including several specimens from Java not available to Beccari) and have probably encountered the living plants of this species more frequently than any other in Laos. We conclude that the differences between varieties and sub-varieties are swamped by the great variability between and within individual clumps. This can often be attributed to environmental factors such as soil quality, illumination, clump maturity and damage. Therefore have no hesitation in synonymising all of the forms listed above. We noted a previously unreported aspect of variation which seems to show a strong geographical pattern and merits further study. Although the female and neuter flowers are often borne in a 1:1 ratio, as is normal in Calamus (Uhl & Dransfield 1987), in many Indochinese specimens some neuter flowers are accompanied by two fertile female flowers, one to either side (the female flowers are 'paired'). This was until now considered characterstic of C. siamensis (Beccari 1908), but can no longer be used to separate that species from C. viminalis, at least in Indochina. The percentage of paired flowers on each C. viminalis rachilla varies depending on the locality, the individual and the part of the inflorescence examined. Sampling a few of the basal rachillae from one of the well-developed basal partial inflorescences gives a good estimate of the percentage of paired flowers across the whole inflorescence (authors' unpublished data). Using this method, comparable estimates were obtained from 32 plants across the mainland range of the species. There is a notable contrast between most of the range (with low or zero occurrence of 'paired' flowers) and Laos/North-east/East Thailand, with variable levels including many high values (and some zeros). This pattern may imply a genetic difference between populations and merits further study. The species has not previously been reported from Bali. (J. Dransfield, A Synopsis of the Rattans (Arecaceae: Calamoideae) of Laos and Neighbouring Parts of Indochina. 2002)/Palmweb. |
Culture
Cold Hardiness Zone: 10a
Comments and Curiosities
Uses: The cane is of moderate quality, widely used for handicrafts and sometimes traded. Shoot edible, fruit sometimes sold for food; ripe fruit pulps are edible (Bawm, Chakma, Marma and Tripura). Various tools and crafts are prepared by all the tribes. This species provides a widely used cane for basketry and furniture-making, and the palm heart and fruits are eaten.
Conservation: Of no conservation concern, since it is favoured by forest loss and tolerates harvesting well.
External Links
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, A Synopsis of the Rattans (Arecaceae: Calamoideae) of Laos and Neighbouring Parts of Indochina. 2002
Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.