Calamus henryanus

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Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs)
henryanus (henry'-AHN-uhs)
Ch643812.jpg
China.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs)
Species:
henryanus (henry'-AHN-uhs)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Asia
Asia.gif
Morphology
Habit: Clustering
Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
dian nan sheng teng (China), wai namlee, wai hangnou, wai khairp, wai faatgay (Lao Loum), blong knair (Khamu), kateng blaou (Hmong), wai bun (Thailand).

Habitat and Distribution

China (North-west, South-east and South Yunnan, South-east China), Thailand (North and North-east),
Near Lak Sao, Laos. by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.
Laos (North and Central) and Vietnam (Tonkin and North Annam). Scrub and tropical moist forest at 600 - 1100 m (Laos), 450 - 1300 m (Thailand) and 1350 m (China).

Description

An exceptionally beautiful, smallish rattan palm with very finely pinnate, glossy green leaves. It is native to rainforests in southern China and Indo-China where it grows at some altitude, suggesting that it would be fairly tolerant of cool conditions. (RPS.com)

Calamus henryanus is a clustering rattan. Stems climbing to 20 m long, without sheaths to 0.4–1 cm in diam., with sheaths to 2 cm in diam., internodes 5–18 cm long. Leaves ecirrate; sheaths green with reddish brown indumentum, and bearing abundant scattered or partially grouped narrow triangular spines with swollen bases, the longest to 2 cm, the spine margins hairy, smaller spines often interspersed with larger ones, occasionally a few spines around the leaf sheath mouth larger than the rest, to 5 cm long and erect; ocrea inconspicuous, unarmed; knee conspicuous, generally unarmed; flagellum to 1 m; leaf rachis to 75 cm long, bearing up to 35 leaflets on each side, regularly arranged but usually with a few gaps; the longest 15–40 x 1.3–2 cm, covered with small bristles along the 3–5 prominent ribs adaxially and abaxially, margins bristly. Inflorescence with a terminal flagellum, and with up to 5 rather distant partial inflorescences; male and female inflorescences superficially similar, to 1.5 m long, the male branched to 2–3 orders, the female to 1–2 orders, each partial inflorescences to 12 cm long, composed of strongly adpressed rachillae 0.5–2.5 cm long, giving the whole partial infloresccnce a spike-like appearance. Mature fruit broad ellipsoid, about 1 x 0.7 cm, with a short beak, and covered with about 17 vertical rows of straw-coloured scales with dark red margins. Seed rounded, about 0.7 cm in diam.; endosperm homogeneous. Editing by edric.

Culture

Cold Hardiness Zone: 10a

Comments and Curiosities

Uses: Suitable for handicrafts but the short stems are not attractive to traders. Shoot edible, leaves (?) boiled for tea.

Conservation: Probably of little concern since it is quite common, is under low harvesting pressure and grows well in degraded forest.



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.

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