Calamus thwaitesii

Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs) thwaitesii (tweh-TEHS-ee)
Mollem National Park, Karnataka, India.
Scientific Classification
Genus: Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs) Species: thwaitesii (tweh-TEHS-ee)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Asia
Morphology
Habit: Clustering Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
None.

Habitat and Distribution

INDIA (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Maharastra, Karnataka), SRI LANKA.

Mollem National Park, Karnataka, India.

Frequent in moist forest, on slopes and high valleys of the Western Ghats.

Description

C. thwaitesii Cane is a strong climber, about 10 m or more long. Stems are clustered, climbing, up to 6 cm in diameter. Leaf sheaths are yellow-green with brown hairs, with ridges of black, strongly flattened, up to 4 cm long spines, interspersed among many short spines. Flagella are present, up to 9 m long. Leaf rachis is up to 3 m long, with up to 30 lance shaped leaflets per side, irregularly arranged. Flower clusters are up to 7 m long, flagellate. Fruits are ovoid, up to 2.5 cm long and 1.5 cm in diameter, dull orange or yellowish brown.

Robust, clustering, high climbing canes; stem to 10 m or more in length. Leaves up to 3 m long, ecirrate; petioles up to 35 cm long, yellowish, spiny; rachis yellowish, spiny; leaf sheath yellow, densely spiny, spines arising from a raised, rim-like surface, flat, up to 3 x 0.7 cm, black with yellow base; knee and ocrea absent; flagellum up to 9 m long; leaflets irregularly distributed or in groups of 2 or 3-linear-lanceolate, up to 80 x 45 cm with bristles along margins and upper side of midvein. Inflorescence up to 6 m long, flagellate; flowers in male distichous. Fruits ovoid, beaked, ca 2 x 1.3 cm; scales in 12 vertical rows, channeled along the middle, yellow with deep brown margins. Endosperm not ruminate.

A strong climber, about 10 m or more long; stem cluster forming, with leafsheath to 4.5 cm in diameter; exposed stem smooth, yellowish green with 30 - 40 cm long internodes. Leaves ecirrate, about 4 m long in full grown plants; leafsheath and petiole covered with light brown felt-like coating, armed with series of flattened, broad-based, blackish spines jointed at their base; ocrea absent; rachis channelled above, armed with groups of flattened straight spines on upper side and recurved claws with black tips, most conspicuous on lower side; leaflets elongate, ensiform, basal leaflets in groups of 2 - 3 leaflets on each side of the rachis; middle and upper leaflets to 80 cm long, to 5 cm wide at middle, more or less regular and equidistant on rachis with conspicuous black bristles on margins; terminal leaflets smallest, jointed at their base. Male and female inflorescences flagelliform, simply branched; partial inflorescences 60-80 cm long, with 40 - 50 cm space in between the partial inflorescences; axial portion of the partial inflorescences armed with whorls of black tipped claws; primary bract funnel-shaped, lacerate at mouth; secondary bracts on their exposed parts covered with small spines with tuberculateba.se. Male rachillae yellow, flattened, to IS cm long, inserted within the mouth of the respective basal bracts; male flowers distichous, 20-30 in number, narrowly oblong, 8-10 mm x 3 mm, obliquely trigonous at base; calyx campanulate, divided half way into triangular lobes; female rachillae to 30 cm long; bracteoles funnel-shaped, truncate, prolonged on one side into triangular points; involucrophorum cupular; involucre regularly cupular; female flowers ovate,? - 8 mm long; fruiting perianth non-stalked; base of the calyx hardens to form a cushion. Fruits 2.2 x 2.5 cm, ellipsoid to ovoid, suddenly contracted into a solid beak, fruit scales brownish along the margin, broadly channelled at middle, arranged in 12 longitudinal series; seed one, suborbicular, 12 mm x 11 mm; endosperm homogeneous. (J. Dransfield, Rattans (canes) in India. A Monographic Revision. 1992)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.

Culture

Cultivated in the Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah. Experimental cultivation exists in the Kerala Forest Research Institute, Pecchi, Kerala, it is also cultivated in trial plots of the Kodagu Forest Division, Kamataka.

Comments and Curiosities

Etymology: Specific epithet in honor of Dr. G. H. K. Thwaites, British botanist.

Uses: Due to the highly glossy surface and strength, the cane is used for making good quality furniture; one of the most exploited rattans of South India. Because of its bigger girth, strength and other qualities it is being used for making legs of chairs, tables, cots etc. It is also being used for construction of suspension bridges and for making walking-sticks, lathis, and tool handles.