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Classification
Calamus peregrinus Furtado
Nomenclature
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Genus: Calamus
SUMMARY
Solitary moderate to robust rattan. Stem climbing to 20 m tall or more, without sheaths c. 2 cm diam., with sheaths 3.5–7 cm diam., internodes 6–20 cm long. Leaf ecirrate; sheaths mid green with broad yellow streaks when fresh, pale brown when dry, armed with scattered large pale yellow green black-tipped flattened spines with conspicuous swollen yellowish bases and black hairy margins, the largest spines to 4 x 0.8 cm, much smaller spines often present between the large ones, sparse caducous brown indumentum present between spines; knee well developed, armed as the sheath, or sometimes unarmed; ocrea poorly developed; flagellum to 3.5 m long; all cut surfaces ooze yellow creamy gum; petiole 60–175 cm long, armed with pale yellowish green spines with black tips similar to those on sheath; rachis conspicuously arcuate, to 3.5 m long, armed with reflexed grapnel spines to 0.5 cm long; leaflets 30–50 on each side of the rachis, regularly arranged, rather stiff, the longest to 50 x 2–4 cm, main veins bristly on both surfaces, margins bristly near the leaflet tip. Inflorescences 3–6 m long, male and female superficially similar, the male branched to 3 orders, the female to 2 orders with 2–3 partial inflorescences only, to 25 cm long, borne near the inflorescence base, and a long terminal flagellum; primary bracts conspicuous, splitting along part of their length and becoming flattened, tattering near their tips, armed with short triangular spines; male rachillae c. 3 x 0.2 cm, the female to 5 x 0.2 cm, flowers relatively large (to 0.75 cm long). Mature fruit globose to very slightly obovoid, borne on a stalked disc, to 2 x 1.6 cm, with a short beak to 0.2 x 0.1 cm, and covered in 15–16 vertical rows of bright reddish brown, unchannelled scales. Seed globose, c. 1.5 cm diam., pitted; endosperm deeply ruminate. Seedling leaf with 4–6 very slender leaflets.