Calamus scipionum Lour.

Robust clustering rattan. All parts drying dark brown or black. Stem climbing to great heights, often to 50 m or more, without sheaths c. 2.5 cm diam., sometimes to 3.5 cm, with prominent nodes and slightly uneven in cross section, with sheaths to 5 cm diam., internodes very long, sometimes exceeding 100 cm. Leaf ecirrate; sheaths mid to dark green, armed with large triangular flattened yellowish-based black spines to 5 cm long, often partly grouped, and abundant deciduous grey indumentum; knee conspicuous; ocrea short, soon tattering; flagellum robust, frequently exceeding 7 m, armed with black spines; petiole to 30 cm long; rachis to 1.7 m long; leaflets c. 25 on each side of the rachis, regularly arranged, the proximal to 40 x 3 cm and distal to 20 x 3 cm, dull green and rather neatly curved, bristly only at the tip. Inflorescence to 6 m or more, male and female superficially similar, the male branched to 3 orders, the female to 2 orders, with c. 7 partial inflorescences often to 1.5 m long, male rachillae to 2 x 0.2 cm, female rachillae slender, reflexed, 15–18 x 0.3 cm. Ripe fruit ovoid to 1.4 x 0.9 cm, with a short beak and covered with 14–15 vertical rows of dull green scales. Seed ovoid c. 1 x 0.5 cm with scattered shallow pits; endosperm homogeneous. Seedling leaf with 4 leaflets arranged in a fan.