Calamus balingensis

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Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs)
balingensis
(bah-lihn-GEHN-siss)
Calamus balingensis leaf.jpg
Photo by Paul Craft.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs)
Species:
balingensis
(bah-lihn-GEHN-siss)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Asia
Asia.gif
Morphology
Habit: Solitary
Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
rotan tanah

Habitat and Distribution

Malaya, Thailand and Kedah: endemic. Only known from the type.

Nong Nooch Botanical Gardens, Thailand. Photo by Paul Craft.

Description

Solitary rattan with stem to 12 m tall, without sheaths about 1 cm in diameter, with sheaths to about 2 cm, with internodes about 10 cm in length. Sheaths rather densely armed with dark brown spines of varying length, reflexed or horizontal the longest to 5 cm long by 5 mm wide; spines around leaf sheath mouth erect, very large, to 10 cm long. Knee prominent. Ocrea inconspicuous. Flagellum to about ? 2 m long. Leaf ecirrate to 2 m long with petiole to 25 cm long, petiole and rachis densely furfuraceous and armed with scattered lateral spines. Leaflets about 50 on each side of the rachis, regular and close the largest to 28 cm by 1.6 wide; the upper surface with scattered bristles on 3 nerves, the lower surface very densely armed with minute bristles. Inflorescence, only male known; to about 2 m long with about 6 partial inflorescences, the longest to 20 cm with all bracts rather densely armed except for those subtending rachillae. Fruit unknown. Seedling unknown. (J. Dransfield, A Manual of the rattans of the Malay Peninsula. Malayan Forest Recirds 29.. 1979)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.

Nothing is known of the ecology of this imperfectly known species. It seems very distinctive in its leaf sheath armature, the ecirrate leaves and the leaflets densely spinulose below. It might be confused with C. setulosus but the latter is very much smaller in size and has different armature on the sheaths. (J. Dransfield, A Manual of the rattans of the Malay Peninsula. Malayan Forest Recirds 29.. 1979)/Palmweb.

Solitary or clustering moderate rattan. Stem climbing to 15 m or more, without sheaths about 1 cm in diam., with sheaths to about 2 cm in diam., internodes to about 10 cm long. Leaf ecirrate; sheaths rather densely armed with dark brown spines of varying length, reflexed or horizontal, the longest to 50 mm long, 5 mm wide at the base, spines around the leaf sheath mouth erect, to 10 cm long, brown indumentum abundant between spines; knee conspicuous; ocrea inconspicuous; flagellum to 2 m long; petiole to 15 cm long; rachis to 1.85 m long, it and the petiole rather densely covered with pale to mid-brown indumentum and scattered spines, particularly along margins; leaflets to about 50–90 on each side of the rachis, regularly arranged, close, linear, the largest to 28 x 1.6 cm, adaxially with 3 veins bristly, abaxially very densely armed with minute bristles. Inflorescences flagellate, male and female superficially similar, to about 3.5 m long, with 5–9 partial inflorescences, the male branched to 3 orders, the female to 2; male rachillae about 15 x 3 mm; female rachillae to 75 x 1.5 mm. Mature fruit unknown; immature fruit green with 22 vertical rows of scales. (thaipalm.myspecies.info/taxonomy)

Culture

Comments and Curiosities

Etymology: Baling - Gunung Baling in Kedah.



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 Manual of the rattans of the Malay Peninsula. Malayan Forest Recirds 29.. 1979


Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.

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