Arecaceae
Calamus

Calamus minor A.J.Hend.

First published in Taiwania 52: 156 (2007)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is N. Central Laos. It is a climbing shrub and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Distribution
Lao (Bolikhamsay).
Vernacular
Wai deng, wai hangnou (Lao).
Diagnostic
A Calamo hypoleuco differt caulibus 2.5-3 m longis; foliis vaginis spinis usque 1 cm longis, vaginis apicibus spinis interdum usque 2 cm longis.
General Description
Stems clustered, 2.5-3 m long and 0.7-1 cm diameter (with leaf sheaths). Leaf sheaths greenish-yellow, sparsely covered with brown, black-tipped, flattened, horizontally or upward spreading spines to 1.4 cm long, those at sheath apex sometimes to 2.5 cm long; knees present; ocreas present, to 0.3 cm long, fibrous, disintegrating; flagella absent; petioles 3-10 cm long, sparsely covered laterally and abaxially with recurved spines to 0.5 cm long; rachis 40-70 cm long, abaxially with few, recurved, solitary spines; pinnae 5-6 per side of rachis, lanceolate, regularly but distantly arranged, 15-30 cm long, 1.7-4 cm wide, gray abaxially, without marginal spines except near apices, the apical pair of pinnae only briefly joined at their bases; cirri absent. Inflorescences 0.2-0.4 m long, briefly or not flagellate; partial inflorescences inserted at the base of the partial inflorescence bract; partial inflorescence bracts open and not sheathing the main axis, not spiny; staminate inflorescences branched to three orders, with 4-6 partial inflorescences; rachillae to 0.5 cm long; rachillae bracts distichously arranged, to 1 mm long, glabrous; floral bracteoles 0.5 mm long, glabrous; staminate flowers to 3.5 mm long, to 10 per rachilla, arranged alternately and distichously along the rachillae; calyx 2 mm long, tubular except for the 3-lobed apex; corolla 3 mm long, with 3 valvate petals free to the base; pistillode absent; pistillate inflorescences branched to two orders, with up to six partial inflorescences; rachillae to 1.5 cm long; rachillae bracts distichously arranged; pistillate flowers not seen; fruits not seen.
Biology
Lowland forest, at 140-160 m elevation.
[PW]

Uses

Use
The shoot is edible and the stems used for handicrafts.
[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.

  • 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