Calamus bicolor (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Calamus bicolor Becc.

Family: Palmae

Vernacular names

• Philippines: lasi, rasi, sambonotan (Bagobo).

Distribution

The Philippines (on Mount Apo, Davao).

Uses

Ornamental; the young plant forms a rosette that is attractive because of the two distinct colours of the leaflets, dark green above, grey below.

Observations

Stem without leafsheaths 1520 mm in diameter, with sheaths to 40 mm in diameter. Leaves cirrate; leafsheaths densely covered with hairlike, elastic, brownish spines; leaflets green above and chalky white below. Endemic to the Philippines in primary forest at 12001800 m altitude.

Selected sources

2, 3, 8, 11, 22, 23, 26, 37, 38, 39, 45.