Calamus caesius

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Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs)
caesius (seh-SEE-uhs)
Cc2787822.jpg
Sabah plantations, Sabah, Malaysia. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs)
Species:
caesius (seh-SEE-uhs)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Asia
Asia.gif
Morphology
Habit: Clustering
Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
rotan sega (Mai.), wi letik (Ib.), wi buru (Bid.), Sega Rattan.

Habitat and Distribution

Widespread throughout the State. Elsewhere throughout Borneo, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, S.
Kampong Gayu, Sarawak, Malaysia. Cultivated. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Thailand (possibly introduced) and Palawan. (J. Dransfield, The Rattans of Sarawak. 1992)/Palmweb.

Description

Clustering moderate-sized rattan, climbing high into the canopy with stems ultimately reaching 100 m or more, the clump tending to be close and eventually with many aerial stems; stem without sheaths variable, 7-18 mm in diam., with sheaths to 25 mm in diam., internodes up to 50 cm (even longer in juveniles); cane surface highly polished, the outer surface snapping off in flakes when the cane is bent. Sheaths dull green, armed with sparse pale triangular spines to 15 x 5 mm and sparse grey indumentum, smaller spines sometimes also present; knee prominent; ocrea inconspicuous. Leaf cirrate to 1.5 m including the cirrus to 75 cm; petiole present in juvenile shoots, absent in mature climbing stems; leaflets about 15 on each side of the rachis, irregularly arranged, usually in alternate pairs, occasionally in 3's, dark green on the upper surface, white beneath, somewhat plicate, often cucullate, the longest to 30 x 5 cm. Inflorescences to 2 m with 7 or more partial inflorescences to 75 cm, the whole inflorescence sometimes ending in a divaricate axis to 20 cm; bracts tubular with sparse brown indumentum; female rachillae c. 10 cm long. Ripe fruit ovoid, about 15 x 10 mm, with a beak to 2 mm, and covered in 15 - 21 vertical rows of greenish white scales drying pale straw-coloured. Seed ovoid, about 12 x 7 mm; endosperm deeply ruminate. Seedling leaf forked, the two lobes parallel, 1/4 the length of the whole lamina, dark green on the upper surface, white beneath. (J. Dransfield, The Rattans of Sarawak. 1992)/Palmweb.

C. caesius is a very widespread species, occurring in a wide range of habitats from the lowlands up to about 800 m altitude. In some localities it may well have been introduced. It seems to grow best on alluvial sites but seedlings can be killed by prolonged flooding. In Sarawak it will occur at relatively high elevations, such as on steep ridges in hill dipterocarp forest at 800 m. The combination of cirrate leaves with irregularly arranged leaflets dark green on the upper surface, pale grey- white beneath is diagnostic; for differences between C. caesius and C. optimus see the latter. (J. Dransfield, The Rattans of Sarawak. 1992)/Palmweb.

Culture

Cold Hardiness Zone: 10a

Comments and Curiosities

Etymology: From the Latin; Blue-green.

Uses: Without doubt the best quality cane of its size class, ideal for all types of binding and weaving in the furniture industry and widely used locally in traditional weaving. (J. Dransfield, The Rattans of Sarawak. 1992)/Palmweb.

This attractive climbing palm native to rainforests from the Malay Peninsula to Borneo and the Philippines forms very large clusters of thin stems that can grow to an astounding 100m long and are armed with a few very broad spines. The leaves have practically no stalks and broad leaflets that are silvery white underneath and arranged in small, widely spaced groups and is is equipped with a short cirrus, a whip-like extension of the leaf midrib that the plant uses to support itself with on other trees. Rotan sega produces the highest quality thin canes and these are widely used in the local furniture industry as well as for traditional uses such as weaving. (RPS.com)



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, The Rattans of Sarawak. 1992


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

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