Calamus castaneus (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Calamus castaneus Becc.

Family: Palmae

Vernacular names

• Malaysia: rotan cucor
• Thailand: waichakkao, waikhao.

Distribution

Southern Thailand, northern Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia.

Uses

The leaves are used for making thatch ("atap"). The immature fruits are used as cough medicine in traditional medicine in Peninsular Malaysia.

Observations

A clustering undergrowth palm showing no tendency to climb, without flagellum or cirrus. Leafsheaths with grey yellowishbased spines; leaflets with dirty grey indumentum below. One of the most common palms in Peninsular Malaysia from near sealevel to 800 m altitude.

Selected sources

14, 19, 28, 35.