Calamus zollingeri (PROSEA)
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Introduction |
Calamus zollingeri Beccari
- Protologue: Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Calcutta 11: 386 (1908).
- Family: Palmae
- Chromosome number: 2n= unknown
Vernacular names
- Indonesia: rotan batang, pondos batang (Sulawesi), rotan air (Moluccas, Seram).
Origin and geographic distribution
C. zollingeri is found in Sulawesi and the Moluccas.
Uses
C. zollingeri provides an excellent cane for the framework of furniture and is used extensively in Sulawesi. It is not used locally in the Moluccas but was once exported to Hong Kong and sold in the raw state in Java.
Production and international trade
The cane of C. zollingeri is used extensively commercially. No trade statistics are available. Since 1985, local forestry officials have established two experimental gardens of 510 ha each for the species in Noongan (North Sulawesi) and near Palu (Central Sulawesi).
Properties
C. zollingeri is a largediameter (2540 mm) cane of good quality, but is inferior to C. manan Miq.
Description
Clustering, robust, dioecious rattan. Stem to 40 m long, without leafsheaths 2540 mm in diameter, with sheaths to 60 mm in diameter, internodes to 40 cm long. Leaf cirrate, to 7 m long including 80 cm long petiole, 5 m long rachis and 2 m long cirrus bearing grapnellike groups of reflexed spines; leafsheath 3040 cm long, dull green, armed to varying degrees with dull brown to black tough triangular spines to 5.5 cm long, the bases of every 812 adjacent spines often united to form collars to 2.5 cm long; knee conspicuous; petiole bearing abundant spines on the lower surface only, none on the upper surface, the spines to 3 cm long, similar in form to the ones on the leafsheaths; leaflets 6085 on each side of the rachis, arranged regularly, pendulous, linear, to 50 cm×3 cm, with 3 lateral veins, leaflet upper and lower surfaces bearing bristly hairs to 2.5 cm long 1.4 cm apart. Inflorescences erect, robust, to 110 cm long; male inflorescence similar to the female. Ripe fruit globose, 5 mm in diameter, dark brown, immature fruit green, turning to white in dried herbarium specimens. Seed one per fruit; endosperm homogenous. Seedlingleaf with 2 leaflets, 70 mm×6.5 mm.
Other botanical information
Beccari included C. zollingeri in a group consisting of C. andamanicus Kurz, C. erinaceus (Becc.) J. Dransf., C. merrillii Becc., C. ovoideus Thwaites ex Trimen, C. polystachys Becc., C. warburgii K. Schum. and C. zeylanicus Becc. In Sulawesi, due to the similar size of vegetative parts in sterile material, C. zollingeri is often misidentified as Daemonorops robusta Warb. The main difference is that the leafsheaths of D. robusta bear numerous slender hairy spines and the upper surface of the petiole is densely armed with spines as well and the leaflets are rather stiff and pointed, not pendulous.
Ecology
C. zollingeri is found in primary forest from lowlands to altitudes of 800 m, usually near streams.
Agronomy
Propagation is by seed and possibly also by using sucker shoots. The stem is cut at the base and the plant is pulled out manually by 23 men while an assistant climbs the nearest tree and cuts off leaves which are entangled in the canopy to facilitate the removal of the stem, very often leaving behind a portion of the upper part of the stem that cannot be extricated. After removing old leafsheaths and debris from the stem, the cane is cut into 4 m lengths. The collector usually carries a bundle of 1012 pieces on his shoulder for a journey that can last 4 hours to 2 days (or even a week by river) to the nearest marketplace. The cane is treated in the same way as C. manan .
Genetic resources and breeding
In a project started in 1989, more than 2000 seeds of C. zollingeri from Central Sulawesi have been collected and germinated, and the seedlings raised for planting. No breeding activities have been carried out. Preliminary selection and provenance trials are needed before a breeding programme can be initiated.
Prospects
As there is a large demand for high quality largediameter canes, there is great promise for the cultivation of C. zollingeri which, although of inferior quality compared to C. manan , has the advantage of being multistemmed.
Literature
- Beccari, O., 1908. Asiatic palmsLepidocaryeae. Part 1. The species of Calamus. Annals of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta 11: p. 387, Plate 165 & 166; Analytical section: Plate 7.
- Panjatap, 1985. Laporan team studi rotan [Report of the rattan study team]. Panitia Kerja Tetap Pengembangan Ekspor, Jakarta. 17 pp. [mimeographed report]
Authors
J.P. Mogea
