Calamus marginatus

Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs) marginatus (mahr-jihn-AH-tuhs)
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Scientific Classification
Genus: Calamus (KAL-ah-muhs) Species: marginatus (mahr-jihn-AH-tuhs)
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Asia
Morphology
Habit: Solitary Leaf type: Pinnate
Culture
Survivability index
Common names
Uwai Pagit (Dus.), Wi Matahari (Ib.)

Habitat and Distribution

Borneo. Widespread throughout Brunei. A common Bornean rattan, also known from Sumatra and Palawan. This is one of the most widespread of Bornean rattans, occurring from sea level to 1,800 m altitude, and also one of the most variable. [[]]

Description

Solitary, rarely clustering, moderate to robust rattan climbing to 15 m or more, but frequently flowering when only 3-4 m tall; stem without sheaths to 18 mm diam., with sheaths to 20-35 mm diam., internodes generally rather short, not usually more than 10 cm. Sheaths dull dark green, densely armed with scattered triangular flattened black spines, 3-40 mm (in montane forms spines around the leaf sheath mouth crowded, erect, very long, to 140 mm), black indumentum abundant between the spines; knee grossly swollen; ocrea membranous, to 7 mm, usually obscured by spines. Flagellum to 5 m, heavily armed with reflexed spines. Leaf ecirrate, distinctly curved, to c. 1.5 m including the petiole to 35 cm; petiole strongly channelled on upper surface, armed with regular groups of spines 5-20 mm along the margins, and a central row of spines to 20 mm on the lower surface; leaflets 40-60 on each side of the rachis, curved, very regular, c. 3 cm apart, the longest to 35 × 1.5 cm, leaflet margins slightly but distinctly thickened, unarmed on the upper surface, lower surface with 3-5 main veins armed with close very short bristles, transverse veinlets conspicuous. Inflorescence flagellate, very long, to 5 m or more, bearing up to 5 very distant pendulous partial inflorescences, to 1 m or more long, in male partial inflorescences branching twice to give short dark brown rachillae to 2 cm, bearing dense distichous flowers, in female branching once to give rachillae c. 20 cm long, bearing lax distichous flowers. Mature fruit ovoid, c. 16 × 12 mm, tipped with a beak to 2 mm and covered in 15 vertical rows of reddish-brown scales. Seed to 12 × 8 × 7 mm, deeply pitted; endosperm deeply ruminate. Seedling leaf pinnate with 6 very narrow leaflets held in a fan. (Fig. 68). (J. Dransfield, The Rattans of Brunei Darussalam. 1997)

Comments and Curiosities

Etymology: From the Latin; Margined.

Uses: Produces a coarse but durable cane of poor appearance, much used for the frameworks of carrying baskets.