Calamus scipionum (PROSEA)
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Introduction |
Calamus scipionum Loureiro
- Protologue: Fl. Cochin., ed. 1: 210 (1790).
- Family: Palmae
- Chromosome number: 2n= unknown
Vernacular names
- Rotan semambu (general throughout region and in trade)
- Thailand: waai maithao (peninsular).
Origin and geographic distribution
C. scipionum is widespread throughout Burma, Vietnam, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo and Palawan.
Uses
Cane of C. scipionum is used for making furniture of moderate quality. Cane with long internodes is valued for making walking sticks, umbrella handles, etc.
Production and international trade
C. scipionum is collected from the wild and used or traded mainly domestically, although some is traded internationally. The estimate by the Rattan Manufacturers' Association of Malaysia of monthly production in Peninsular Malaysia in 1989 was 1000000 sticks of 3 m each.
Properties
Cane surface light brown or light to darker brown throughout the length, or with brown patches. Internode lengths mostly > 30 cm, often very long but sometimes to 28 cm or less, node raised and swollen at one point, for 10 mm or more of its circumference, swelling arising longitudinally from internode below, hence cane is acylindrical. In a test, the following mechanical properties were measured: ovendry density 0.56 g/cm3, the modulus of rupture 27 N/mm2, modulus of elasticity 4283 N/mm2, compression 63 N/mm2, shear 2.44 N/mm2.
Description
Massive clustering rattan climbing to great heights, reaching lengths of 50 m or more. Stem without leafsheaths to 2535 mm in diameter, with rather prominent nodes, and slightly lopsided in transverse section; internodes very long, sometimes exceeding 1 m, with sheaths 50 mm in diameter. Leaf ecirrate to about 2 m in length; leafsheath midgreen, armed with large, triangular, flattened, yellowishbased, black spines to 5 cm long and 1.5 cm wide at the base, and abundant grey indumentum when young; knee conspicuous; ocrea short, quickly tattering; flagellum massive, dark green, frequently exceeding 7 m in length, armed with whorls of black tipped, reflexed spines; petiole to about 30 cm; leaflets about 25 on each side of the rachis, regularly arranged, the lowermost to 40 cm×3 cm, midleaflets to 60 cm×6 cm, the uppermost to 20×3 cm, very sparsely bristly at tips. Inflorescences male and female, superficially similar, to 6 m or more in length with about 7 short to elongated partial inflorescences, sometimes to 1.5 m long, with slender reflexed rachillae in the female, and finely branched rachillae in male. Ripe fruit ovoid, to 14 mm×9 mm, very shortly beaked, covered in 1415 vertical rows of dull green scales. Seed ovoid, about 10 mm×5 mm with scattered pits, the pits penetrating very slightly the otherwise homogeneous endosperm. Seedlingleaf with 4 leaflets displayed in a fan.
Cane anatomy The peripheral zone consists of up to 10 rows of lignified parenchyma cells. The outer 34 cells are rectangular and appear more strongly lignified. The vascular bundles consist of 1 metaxylem vessel (approximate diameter 300350μm) and 2 phloem fields located laterally and containing 46 sieve tubes each. The surrounding fibre sheath is extensive and strongly lignified. Fibre length 1.5 mm, diameter about 18μm, wall thickness approximately 4μm, lumen diameter about 10μm. The ground tissue consists of large and generally thinwalled parenchyma cells of irregular outline, intercellular spaces large and numerous.
Growth and development
Germination begins 4 weeks after sowing, but may take up to 27 weeks. Germination rates are variable, ranging from 3066%. High light intensity accelerates the formation of sucker shoots and stemlength growth. Growth rates are poor compared to those of C. manan Miq., C. caesius Blume and C. trachycoleus Becc. Mean stem growth is 0.1 m per year, and optimum growth is 1 m per year. Flowering is in JulyAugust in Peninsular Malaysia, with 20003000 fruits per stem once maximum production capacity has been reached.
Other botanical information
C. scipionum is very distinctive, likely to be confused only with C. ornatus Blume. Both are very similar in the rosette stage, but the climbing stems of C. scipionum have large terminal leaflets (ecirrate) whereas C. ornatus has minute terminal leaflets (subcirrate). In inflorescence structure they are very different, and the seedlingleaf of C. scipionum has 4 rather than 2 leaflets.
Ecology
C. scipionum is a widespread lowland species rarely occurring above 200 m altitude. It appears to favour better soils such as alluvial soils in the floodplains of rivers. It is very tolerant of forest clearance, and is often found in secondary forest. C. scipionum has not been found in primary lowland dipterocarp forest.
Propagation and planting
Sucker shoots could be used in propagation but cultivation is more efficient with seedlings raised from seeds. Nursery procedures and outplanting techniques are similar to those described for other species such as C. manan and C. subinermis Becc. Likely planting sites are secondary forest areas in the lowlands.
Husbandry
Little maintenance is required, apart from initial weeding, and where necessary, opening the canopy sufficiently to allow light to reach the seedlings.
Diseases and pests
There is no information on diseases and pests of C. scipionum in the wild or in the nursery. Seedlings planted in regenerating lowland dipterocarp forest have been severely attacked by rats and squirrels.
Harvesting
It is not known at what age the cane could be harvested but it is unlikely to be less than 15 years after planting and probably longer than that because of slow initial growth. The harvesting method is similar to that of other largediameter canes such as C. manan .
Handling after harvest
As for other largediameter canes, the cut canes are washed and cleaned before being boiled in a mixture of diesel and coconut oil, or of diesel and kerosene, or of diesel and palm oil, for varying lengths of time. They are then rubbed with gunny sacking and placed upright to dry in the sun, after which they are bundled.
Genetic resources and breeding
No collection of genetic variability has been carried out so far and no breeding work has been initiated.
Prospects
Largescale cultivation of largediameter rattans is likely to centre on those such as C. manan, C. merrillii Becc., C. ornatus, C. ovoideus Thwaites ex Trimen, C. subinermis , C. tumidus Furtado, and C. zollingeri Becc. Despite its clustering habit, C. scipionum is unlikely to be considered for commercialscale cultivation because of its inferior quality when compared with species such as those mentioned above.
Literature
- Abd. Latif Mohmod & Siti Norralakmam Yahaya, 1992. Anatomical characteristics of 5 Malaysian canes and their relationship with physical and mechanical properties. Paper presented at the Rattan (Cane) Seminar, Trichur, Kerala, India, 2931 January 1992. 7 pp.
- Dransfield, J., 1979. A manual of the rattans of the Malay Peninsula. Malayan Forest Records No 29. Forest Department, Kuala Lumpur. pp. 203205.
- Manokaran, N., 1978. Germination of fresh seeds of Malaysian rattans. Malaysian Forester 41(4): 319324.
- Manokaran, N., 1979. A note on the number of fruits produced by four species of rattans. Malaysian Forester 42(1): 4649.
- Manokaran, N., 1980. Survival and growth of rotan semambu (Calamus scipionum) seedlings at 2 years after planting. Malaysian Forester 43(4): 481492.
- Manokaran, N., 1983. Survival and growth of rotan semambu (Calamus scipionum) seedlings at 7 years after planting. Malaysian Forester 46(1): 8185.
- Manokaran, N., 1989. Flowering and fruiting patterns in Calamus caesius. In: Rao, A.N. & Vongkaluang, I. (Editors): Recent research on rattans. Proceedings of the International Rattan Seminar, Chiangmai, 1214 November 1987. Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Thailand and International Development Research Centre, Canada. pp. 122129.
- Weiner, G. & Liese, W., 1988. Anatomical differences of rattans from Peninsular Malaysia. Rattan Information Centre Bulletin 7(1/2): 26.
Authors
N. Manokaran
