Calamus spectatissimus

Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs) spectatissimus (spehk-tah-tihs-SEE-muhs)
Photo-Malaysian Biological Diversity
Scientific Classification
Genus: Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs) Species: spectatissimus (spehk-tah-tihs-SEE-muhs)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Asia
Morphology
Habit: Clustering Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
Wai krae (หวายแกร) (Narathiwat); Krae-ki-ya (แกรกียะ) (Malay-Narathiwat)

Habitat and Distribution

Perak (Kroh - 1 collection). Sumatra (Komering Ulu - 1 collection). Borneo (Kalimantan

Balik Papan, Kalimantan Timur, Indonesia. Photo by Dr. John Dransfield, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew/Palmweb.

Timur, near Balikpapan - 1 collection). In Sumatra and Borneo it was found on lower slopes in lowland Dipterocarp forest.

Description

Clustering, high-climbing, moderate-sized rattan. Stems to 20 m long, without sheaths about 1 cm in diam., with sheaths to 2 cm in diam.; internodes to 40 cm long. Leaf ecirrate; sheaths dull green, rather densely armed with dull green swollen-based spines of variable length, held horizontally or slightly reflexed, the longest to 1.5 cm long; ocrea inconspicuous; knee well developed; flagellum to 1.5 m; petiole to 30 cm long, armed abaxially with scattered spines; rachis to 70 cm, armed as the petiole; leaflets about 40 on each side of the rachis, regularly arranged, close, linear, the longest to 35 x 1.5 cm, adaxially unarmed, abaxially all leaflets very densely armed with short bristles. Inflorescences flagellate, usually not longer than the leaves and often very much shorter, male and female superficially similar, the male branching to 3 orders, the female to 2 orders, with 3–6 partial inflorescences, each subtended by rather wide inflated and loose bracts; rachillae very crowded, bearing relatively very large flowers, up to 1 cm long. Mature fruit rounded, about 2 cm in diam., very briefly beaked, covered in about 18 vertical rows of shiny, unchannelled, dark chestnut brown scales with fimbriate margins. Seed c. 1.4 cm in diam., somewhat flattened on one side; endosperm homogeneous

Clustering high climbing moderate sized rattan with stems to 20 m tall. Stems without sheaths about 1 cm in diameter, with sheaths to 1.7 cm. Internodes to 40 cm long. Sheaths dull green, rather densely armed with dull green swollen based spines of variable length, the longest to 1.5 cm long, horizontal or slightly reflexed. Ocrea obscure. Knee well developed. Flagellum to 1.5 m. Leaf ecirrate to 1 m long including petiole to 30 cm long; petiole armed with scattered spines below. Leaflets about 40 on each side of the rachis, close and regular, the longest to 35 cm long by 1.5 cm wide, ± unarmed above, but densely armed with short bristles beneath. Inflorescence male and female similar, both generally not much longer than the leaves, often much shorter, with 3-6 partial inflorescences. Subtended by rather wide loose bracts. Partial inflorescences with rather crowded rachillae bearing relatively very large flowers to 1 cm long. Ripe fruit about 2 cm in diameter rounded, covered in dark chestnut brown non-channelled shiny scales. Seedling leaf unknown. (J. Dransfield, A Manual of the rattans of the Malay Peninsula. Malayan Forest Records 29.. 1979)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.

A very rare rattan known from 3 collections only. Easily distinguished by the variable spine length of the leaf sheath spines, the ecirrate leaves with leaflets densely setose below, the inflorescence with almost inflated bracts, and the flowers very large in size. It is perhaps more closely related to Calamus conirostris than to C. exilis where Furtado placed it. (J. Dransfield, A Manual of the rattans of the Malay Peninsula. Malayan Forest Records 29.. 1979)/Palmweb.

Culture

Cold Hardiness Zone: 10a

Comments and Curiosities

Etymology: From spectatus - approved - this allusion is not understood.