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Classification
Calamus viminalis Willd.
Nomenclature
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Genus: Calamus
SUMMARY
Clustering slender rattan forming large thickets. Stems climbing to 35 m, without sheaths 0.5–1.5 cm diam., with sheaths 0.9–3 cm diam., internodes 10–30 cm long. Leaves ecirrate; sheaths pale green with abundant caducous white indumentum and sparsely armed with yellowish spines to 4 cm long with reddish tips and swollen yellowish bases; ocrea inconspicuous; knee well developed, armed as the rest of the sheath; flagellum to 3 m long; petiole 5–20 cm long, longer in juvenile stems, armed with spines along the margins and abaxial mid line with spines 10–40 mm long; rachis up to 1.3 m long; leaflets to 55 on each side of the rachis, arranged in groups of 2–4 fanned within the groups, the largest 15–35 (rarely less) x 1–1.5 cm, dark shiny green. Inflorescence to 5 m long including long terminal flagellum, male and female superficially similar but male branched to 3 orders, the female to 2 orders, partial inflorescences to 7 or more, to 30 cm long; male rachillae very short, curved, c. 10 x 1.5 mm, female rachillae 5–15 x 2 mm, some rachilla bracts subtending two female flowers and 1 sterile male instead of usual dyad. Mature fruit relatively small, rounded, c. 0.8 cm diam., with a beak to 0.1 x 0.1 cm, and covered in 11–12 vertical rows of whitish (when fresh) turning yellowish scales with fine dark margins. Seed globose, c. 0.6 cm diam.; endosperm homogeneous. Seedling leaf with 4 very slender widely separated leaflets.