Calamus sordidus J.Dransf., Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 81: 13 (1980)

Primary tabs

https://media.e-taxonomy.eu/palmae/photos/palm_tc_29945_2.jpg

Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
Borneo present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Locally abundant throughout Brunei. Elsewhere in Sarawak, Sabah and E Kalimantan. (Dransfield, J. 1997: The Rattans of Brunei Darussalam)A

Discussion

  • C. sordidus appears to be most frequent in lowland forest on the alluvial flats of small rivers; it has been seen at altitudes up to 600 m in Sabah. The only species with which C. sordidus may be confused are C. marginatus and C. conirostris; the last has large spines around the leaf sheath mouth, a subcirrate leaf and highly condensed inflorescence and C. marginatus always has regularly arranged leaflets, usually has large spines around the leaf sheath mouth and much longer male rachillae with distichous rather than spiral flowers. The present species, though still imperfectly known, is nevertheless very distinctive. (Dransfield, J. 1997: The Rattans of Brunei Darussalam)A

Common Name

  • Wi Taram (Ib.) (Dransfield, J. 1997: The Rattans of Brunei Darussalam)A

Etymology

  • Dirty-coloured (Dransfield, J. 1997: The Rattans of Brunei Darussalam)A

Uses

  • Not recorded, though the cane appears to be of good quality. (Dransfield, J. 1997: The Rattans of Brunei Darussalam)A

Description

  • Clustering moderate rattan climbing to 30 m or more; stem without sheaths to 15 mm diam., with sheaths to 30 mm, internodes to 40 cm. Sheaths bright green but covered in dense dirty-brown to chocolate-coloured scales and armed with scattered horizontal, flattened, brittle, black spines 5-25 × 2-4 mm, densely bearded with dirty-brown hairs along their edges; knee conspicuous, unarmed or less densely armed than the rest of the sheath; ocrea to c. 7 mm, fringed with brown hairs. Flagellum to 3 m. Leaf ecirrate, to 2 m long including the petiole 10-30 cm long; petiole armed on the mid line of the lower surface with short hairy-margined spines; leaflets to 40 or 50 on each side, usually ± regularly arranged in proximal half and grouped irregularly in the distal half, or subregularly throughout, the most proximal leaflets to 45 × 1 cm, mid leaf leaflets to 35 × 2.2 cm, to 9 × 1 cm at the apex, bristly on 3 nerves on the lower surface, the upper surface ± unarmed except for a few bristles near the tip. Male and female inflorescences flagellate, rather different; male inflorescence to 3 m or more with 4 or more distant partial inflorescences subtended by dirty-brown tubular spiny bracts, partial inflorescences limply pendulous to 45 cm, branched to two further orders, the ultimate branches bearing rather conspicuous triangular bracts each subtending a dense catkin to 8 × 3 mm composed of male flowers. Female inflorescence much more sparsely branched, with 3-5 partial inflorescences to 40 cm, conspicuously dirty-brown bracteate, each bract subtending a rachilla to 8 × 0.4 cm. Fruit ± ovoid, with pale green scales (immature). Seedling leaf not known. (Fig. 69, Pl. 11C, 11D). (Dransfield, J. 1997: The Rattans of Brunei Darussalam)A

Materials Examined

  • TEM: Stockdale 1; Amo, K.Belalong, Dransfield J. 6633; Amo, K.Belalong, Dransfield J. 6718; Amo, Kuala Belalong, Stockdale 25; Amo, Kuala Belalong, Stockdale 26; Amo, Kuala Belalong, Stockdale 30; Amo, Sg.Belalong, Sands 5578. TUT: Lamunin, Ladan Hills F.R., Wong 514. (Dransfield, J. 1997: The Rattans of Brunei Darussalam)A

Bibliography

    A. Dransfield, J. 1997: The Rattans of Brunei Darussalam
    B. World Checklist of Arecaceae