Calamus laxissimus

Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs) laxissimus (lahks-ihz-SEE-muhs)
Photo-Malaysian Biological Diversity.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs) Species: laxissimus (lahks-ihz-SEE-muhs)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Asia
Morphology
Habit: Solitary Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
None.

Habitat and Distribution

Johore, Pahang, and Kelantan, Malaysia.

Photo-Malaysian Biological Diversity.

Description

Solitary shortly climbing rattan with stems to 3 m only. Stem without sheaths c 7 mm in diameter, with sheaths to 1.1 cm. Internodes to about 10 cm long. Sheaths mid green armed with scattered blackish spines of length varying from 2-15 mm and caducous pale brown indumentum; area of sheath at base of petiole usually unarmed; spines around leaf sheath mouth erect, brown, much longer than the other spines, to 5 cm long. Knee absent; some non-developing inflorescences appear as flagellum, but true hooked flagellum absent. Leaf ecirrate, to 2 m long with petiole to 40 cm; petiole sparsely armed with short reflexed spines. Leaflets to 25 on each side, distant, rigid, opposite above and divaricate; the longest to 35 cm long by 1.5 cm wide, dark green, unarmed on upper and lower surfaces, shortly bristly along margins. Inflorescences male and female superficially similar, to 75 cm very slender with peduncle to 40 cm, armed with grouped horizontal spines below. Bracts closely tubular except for a short triangular limb armed with crowded erect papery flat brown spines to 3 cm long by 2 mm wide. Partial inflorescences lax up to 15 cm long with few rachillae, the female to 7 cm long, the male somewhat curved very short fruit and seedling leaf unknown. (J. Dransfield, A Manual of the rattans of the Malay Peninsula. Malayan Forest Recirds 29.. 1979)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.

This species is distinguished from other members of the C. perakensis complex by the long and narrow divaricate leaflets, combined with armed inflorescence peduncle and lack of armature on the abaxial surface of the petiole base. (J. Dransfield, A Manual of the rattans of the Malay Peninsula. Malayan Forest Recirds 29.. 1979)/Palmweb.

Culture

Cold Hardiness Zone: 10a

Comments and Curiosities

Etymology: From the Latin; Very lax.