Calamus merrillii (PROSEA)
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Introduction |
Calamus merrillii Beccari
- Protologue: Webbia 1: 347 (1905).
- Family: Palmae
- Chromosome number: 2n= unknown
Synonyms
Calamus maximus Merrill (1922), not of Blanco (1837).
Vernacular names
- Philippines: palasan (Biko, Marobo, Tagalog), parasan (Bisaya).
Origin and geographic distribution
C. merrillii is endemic to the Philippines and found in Rizal, Laguna and Tayabas in Luzon; Agusan, Lanao, and Davao in Mindanao; Masbate and Basilan.
Uses
This is the most popular and most soughtafter rattan cane in the Philippines. The entire stems are used for making "bent wood"chair frames, as cables for ferry boats, for hauling logs, standingrigging on small sailing vessels, and sometimes to support short suspension bridges. The split canes are used for making mats, hats, baskets, chairs, various types of fish traps, and the bottoms and backs of "canebottomed"chairs. The interior parts of the stem, which are softer than the outer part, are used for making "reed"furniture.
Production and international trade
C. merrillii is the most preferred rattan cane in the Philippines and is now overexploited. Since 1977, C. merrillii and C. ornatus Blume var. philippinensis Becc. have been planted on 100 ha in Pagbilao (Quezon) by the Forest Research Institute. The Paper Industries Corporation of the Philippines has planted C. merrillii in 5000 ha of loggedover forest in Bislig, Surigao del Sur. C. merrillii and other rattan species were planted on 50 ha of loggedover forest in San Teodoro (Mindoro Oriental) in 1983 by a private company. Since 1984, this company has planted C. merrillii only on about 100 ha in Talacogon, Agusan del Sur.
Description
Very large and high climbing, clustering rattan. Stem without leafsheaths 2545 mm in diameter, 6070 mm in diameter with sheaths. Leaf very large, cirrate; leafsheath thick, woody, reddishbrown, armed with numerous small spicules or rigid and very brittle bristles, 510 mm long, often confluent and forming short collars; knee conspicuous; ocrea short, represented by a brown bristlyhispid rim at the mouth of the sheaths; petiole very robust, to 3540 mm broad, polished, unarmed at the base and beneath, shallowly and broadly channelled above, armed on the margins with numerous short straight erect spines; rachis rounded beneath, slightly channelled and with two acute spinulous angles above and above sidefaces, distally armed on lower surface with very robust reflexed spines; cirrus very robust, bearing groups of very stoutbased blacktipped reflexed spines; leaflets very numerous, equidistant, approximately 1520 mm apart in the basal and intermediate portion, further apart towards the apex, elongateensiform, narrowing and deeply plicate at the base, gradually acuminate, 4045 cm×2527 mm, the apical ones shorter, concolorous when full grown, apparently slightly mealywhite beneath when young, midvein unarmed or sparingly bristly only near the tips, the side veins slender, bearing long bristles, transverse veinlets inconspicuous, margins armed with small spinules. Male inflorescence large, triangular in outline, shorter than the leaves, about 1.2 m long with an erect rigid axis, and with about 5 distichous close partial inflorescences on each side, not flagelliferous at the apex; primary bracts rather short, 1012 cm long in the exposed part, tubular, closely sheathing, upper primary bracts more or less cylindrical, slightly enlarged above, thinly coriaceous, often longitudinally split but not tattering, with scattered, small solitary, short spines; partial inflorescences with a long pendunclelike base; secondary bracts tubular, about 3 cm long in the exposed part, shortly apiculate at one side, glabrous; tertiary bracts shortly tubular; rachillae to about 25 mm long, bearing 1112 closely spaced flowers on each side. Female inflorescence superficially similar to male but branched to 2 orders only; rachillae to 90 mm long, bearing up to 20 flowers on each side. Fruit more or less spherical, c. 12 mm in diameter, covered in pale brown scales. Seed somewhat flattened, to 9 mm×6 mm. Seedlingleaf with a fan of about 6 leaflets.
Growth and development
C. merrillii is a fastgrowing rattan and attains its full length of 15 m or more after 58 years. It grows best in semiopen forest.
Other botanical information
C. merrillii has frequently been referred to as C. maximus . Blanco's description of C. maximus is so ambiguous that it could refer to almost any species of Calamus . Taxonomy is better served by using the name C. merrillii Becc., a name that is clearly and unambiguously typified.
Ecology
C. merrillii is found mostly in the interior of primary forest at low altitude, sometimes up to 1200 m. Occasionally it is found at the edges of primary forest or in secondary forest.
Propagation and planting
C. merrillii is best propagated by seeds. The fruits are thoroughly washed to remove the fleshy coat and most seeds are sown in beds. The seedlings are kept in shade and usually potted in plastic bags after some weeks, and watered daily until they attain a height of 2030 cm. These are then transplanted to the forest (allowing some light to penetrate through the canopy).
An attempt to propagate C. merrillii by tissue culture showed that it is possible to develop plantlets from meristematic tissues of the shoots.
Husbandry
Little care is given to C. merrillii once the seedlings are planted by villagers. For commercial planting, silvicultural treatments similar to those for C. manan Miq. should be given. In the latter case, postplanting maintenance is relatively simple. Just before or after planting, the existing canopy needs to be manipulated to allow for 50% light/shade conditions for vigorous growth of the rattan seedlings. Circleweeding of seedlings is done 34 times a year for up to 3 years. Planting lines need to be kept clean up to a distance of 1 m on either side, for easy access and maintenance. Fertilizer application at 6monthly intervals in the first 3 years enhances growth.
Harvesting
Gatherers cut the cane off above the surface of the ground and pull down the entire stem. The rattan is then stripped of leaves and the cane is cut into convenient lengths, ranging from 36 m, which are bent sharply at the middle and tied into bundles for convenient transportation. The external part may be stripped from the cane in the forest or the entire canes may be transported, depending on how the product is to be used.
Handling after harvest
After harvest, the canes are subjected to various processes to prevent decay or attack by staining fungi. Canes may be airdried, which usually takes 34 weeks, or kilndried in a special drier which usually takes a shorter time. Antistaining chemicals are usually applied to the freshlycut canes.
Genetic resources and breeding
C. merrillii is included in the rattan gene bank established at the University of the Philippines, Los Baños, Laguna.
Prospects
Largescale plantations of C. merrillii have been established in some privatelyowned rattan plantations in Mindanao. The future of this rattan as a cultivated crop has not yet been proved since the plantations are still not mature. Nevertheless, every effort should be directed towards successfully establishing a commercial plantation of C. merrillii . This species has also been planted on a trial basis in Sabah and Sarawak.
Literature
- BajaLapis, A., 1982. Gross morphological characteristics of twelve commercial Philippine rattans. Master of science thesis in forest biology, University of the Philippines, College, Laguna. 119 pp.
- Brown, W.H. & Merrill, E.D., 1920. Philippine palms and palm products. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Bulletin 22: 158178.
- Dransfield, J., 1979. Report on consultancy on rattan development. FAO. 40 pp.
- Generalao, M.C., 1981. How to grow rattan. Forest Development Research Institute Howto Series No 1. Forest Research Institute, College, Laguna. 24 pp.
- Madulid, D.A., 1991. The Philippines: Palm utilization and conservation. In: Johnson, D. (Editor): Palms for human needs in Asia. Balkema, Rotterdam & Brookfield. pp. 181225.
- Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development, 1985. The Philippines recommends for rattan. PCARRD Technical Bulletin Series No 55. 61 pp.
- Tongacan, A.L., 1985. Proposed Philippine grading rules for unsplit rattan and its derivatives. In: Wong, K.M. & Manokaran, N. (Editors): Proceedings of the rattan seminar, Kuala Lumpur, 24 October 1984. Rattan Information Centre, Forest Research Institute of Malaysia, Kepong. pp. 169178.
- UmaliGarcia, M., 1985. Tissue culture of some rattan species. In: Wong, K.M. & Manokaran, N. (Editors): Proceedings of the rattan seminar, Kuala Lumpur, 24 October 1984. Rattan Information Centre, Forest Research Institute of Malaysia, Kepong. pp. 2331.
Authors
D.A. Madulid
