Calamus insignis

Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs) insignis (in-SIG-niss)
Nong Nooch Botanical Gardens, Thailand. Photo by Paul Craft.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs) Species: insignis (in-SIG-niss)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Asia
Morphology
Habit: Clustering, except Calamus insignis var. longispinosus, Almost always solitary. Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
rotan batu

Habitat and Distribution

Malaya, Sumatra, and Thailand.

Genting Highlands, Malaysia. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

Comments and Curiosities

There are three sub-species:

1.) Calamus insignis var. insignis; Malaya, Thailand, Kedah, Perak, Pahang, Selangor, Trengganu, Negri Sembilan, Johore: Endemic.

Clustering high climbing slender to moderate-sized rattan. Stems without sheaths to 7 mm; with to 1.5 cm, with internodes to 20 cm. All parts dry pale. Sheaths dull green armed with scattered upward-pointing pale yellow bulbous-based black-tipped spines to 3 mm high and scattered brownish scales. Knee prominent. Ocrea sometimes conspicuous. Flagellum to 2 m. Leaf ecirrate or subcirrate, or in some forms in the juvenile stage with a short cirrus. Petiole very short or to 15 cm long. Leaflets to 6 on each side, the terminal pair sometimes united or often only one terminal leaflet present and this much reduced; leaflets dull green, cucullate, thick in texture with prominent close lateral veins about 1.0 mm distant, the longest leaflet to 25 cm long by 7 cm wide, with a prominently thickened margin. Inflorescences male and female superficially similar to about 1.5 m long with up to 8 partialinflorescences to 12 cm long. Rachillae about 8 cm long. Ripe fruit oblong to 10 mm by 7 mm with a prominent beak to 2 mm long covered in 15-18 vertical rows of pale yellowish straw coloured scales. Seed oblong to 9 mm long by 5 mm wide, shallowly pitted. Endosperm homogeneous. Seedling leaf forked, the two leaflets joined for about 1/5 their length below, shiny green with prominent lateral veins. This taxon is found in both lowland and hill Dipterocarp forest from sea-level to altitudes of nearly 800 m. It can be found at the edge of swamps and on ridgetops; it appears to be rather catholic in its ecological requirements. (J. Dransfield, A Manual of the rattans of the Malay Peninsula. Malayan Forest Records 29.. 1979)/Palmweb.

Etymology: Insignis - From the Latin; striking.

Uses: Excellent small diameter cane entering the market as "rotan batu". Extensively used by "Orang Asli" as binding material and for fine basket ware.