Calamus pogonacanthus (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Calamus pogonacanthus Beccari ex H. Winkler

Protologue: Engl. Bot. Jahrb. 48: 91 (1912).

Family: Palmae

Chromosome number: 2n= unknown

Vernacular names

• Malaysia: wi tut (Iban, Sarawak), wi pale (Kayan, Sarawak).

Origin and geographic distribution

C. pogonacanthus is endemic to and very widespread in Borneo. In Sarawak, it is abundant in Ulu Baleh and Ulu Mengiong, Kapit District.

Uses

The cane of C. pogonacanthus is of good quality and is used for tying and binding. It is also used for making coarse mats.

Production and international trade

It is used locally and usually traded under the name "rotan tut"in the market. No information is available on the price and the exact volume used per year.

Properties

C. pogonacanthus produces a durable cane. It can be split quite easily and uniformly.

Botany

Clustering, moderatesized, dioecious, high climbing rattan with stems to 30 m or more. Stem without leafsheaths to 25 mm in diameter, with sheaths to 35 mm diameter; internodes to 30 cm long. Leaf cirrate, to 2 m long including the short petiole to 10 cm and the cirrus to 80 cm; leafsheath greygreen, armed with black hairy spines to 20 mm long; knee conspicuous; vestigial flagellum to 30 cm long; cirrus bearing scattered rather than grouped spines; leaflets 2025 pairs, irregularly arranged, usually subregular near the base and grouped in threes or fours near the cirrus, the longest 40 cm×2 cm, armed with scattered bristles along the main veins on both surfaces. Inflorescences c. 1.5 m long with up to 8 lax partial inflorescences, arranged rather regularly; main bracts tubular, covered with spines and rarely splitting; male rachilla 30 mm×3 mm, female to 150 mm×4 mm, bracts and bracteoles dull greybrown. Mature fruit spherical or almost depressed, 8 mm×10 mm, tipped with a beak to 1.5 mm×1.5 mm, covered with 24 vertical rows of white reflexed scales. Seed c. 8 mm in diameter, sarcotesta sweet, astringent; endosperm deeply ruminate.

C. pogonacanthus seeds germinate in 512 weeks.

It is a highly variable species especially in leaflet arrangement and degree of armature on the leafsheaths. It is closely related to C. pseudoulur Becc., C. semoi Becc., C. mesilauensis J. Dransf. and C. hepburnii J. Dransf. and forms with them a taxonomically difficult complex.

Ecology

C. pogonacanthus is usually found in the lowlands, on river banks and in disturbed areas in lowlands and in hill forests up to 200 m altitude.

Agronomy

C. pogonacanthus is propagated from seed.

Genetic resources and breeding

No efforts have been taken to conserve C. pogonacanthus . Four plants have been planted at the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia at Kepong. No breeding work has been carried out.

Prospects

C. pogonacanthus has the potential to be cultivated. The stems can grow to 30 m length. The cane can be harvested within 710 years from planting.

Literature

• Dransfield, J., 1984. The rattans of Sabah. Sabah Forest Record No 13. Forest Department, Sabah. pp. 113116.
• Dransfield, J., 1992. The rattans of Sarawak. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Sarawak Forest Department, Kuching, Sarawak. pp. 111114.
• Manokaran, N., 1978. Germination of fresh seeds of Malaysian rattans. The Malaysian Forester 41(4): 319324.
• Pearce, K.G., 1989. Conservation status of palms in Sarawak. Malayan Naturalist 43(1/2): 2036.
• Pearce, K.G., 1989. Utilization of palms in Sarawak. Malayan Naturalist 43(1/2): 6891.

Authors

L. Tipot