Arecaceae
Calamus

Calamus leptospadix Griff.

First published in Calcutta J. Nat. Hist. 5: 49 (1844)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is E. Nepal to N. Myanmar. It is a liana and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

General Description
A slender cluster forming climber; stem thickened at joints, with lead-sheaths 12-20 mm in diameter, naked stem smooth, 8 -10 mm in diameter at the internodes. Leaves ecirrate, delicate looking, 80-105 cm long; leafsheath with flagellum, thickly scurfy outside, armed with flattened, 15-20 mm long, subulate, half-whorled spines; ocrea persistent, prickly at margins; flagellum filiform with non-spinous base; armed distally with small, delicate claws; petiole terete; petiole and rachis armed with deflexed spines and claws; rachis delicate angular, covered thickly with greyish indumentum; leaflets closely placed, linear-ensiform, alternate to sub-opposite, to 30 cm long, distinctly 3-nerved, attenuate at base; acuminate to bristly subulate at apex; uppermost leaflets shorter. Male inflorescence flagelliform, decompound; male rachillae scorpioid, 1 -2cm long, with 6-12 closely set bifarious flowers. Male flowers 4-4.5 X 1.5 mm; calyx tubular, campanulate, divided up to middle into apiculate lobes; corolla double the length of calyx into 3 oblong segments. Female inflorescence similar to male; female rachillae erect from base, arching above, 1.5 - 2 cm long; each with 5-8 female flowers. Fruit globose, 1.5 mm in diameter, mamil-late; fruit scales yellow with reddish brown margins, channelled at middle; seed globose, endosperm homogeneous.
Vernacular
Dhangri bet, Rab bet, Rani bet, Mugri bet.
Distribution
INDIA (West Bengal, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh), BHUTAN.
Biology
Mostly on damp river plains, and forming big thickets. It becomes a cluster forming high climber when it grows in moist valleys among tall trees.
[PW]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Uses

Use
Cane is thin and delicate therefore used mainly for making rough baskets. Split canes are durable and used for making chair bottoms.
[PW]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Palmweb - Palms of the World Online

    • Palmweb 2011. Palmweb: Palms of the World Online. Published on the internet http://www.palmweb.org. Accessed on 21/04/2013
    • Content licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0