Daemonorops verticillaris (Griff.) Mart., Hist. Nat. Palm. 3: 329 (1853)

Primary tabs

https://media.e-taxonomy.eu/palmae/photos/palm_tc_55856_2.jpg

Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
Malaya present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Sumatera present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Thailand present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Kelantan, Trengganu, Pahang, Perak, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Malacca, Johore. Thailand. Sumatra. (Dransfield, J. 1979: A Manual of the rattans of the Malay Peninsula. Malayan Forest Recirds 29.)A

Discussion

  • "Rotan sabong" is one of the commonest Malayan rattans, though absent from the N.W. of the Peninsula. It is found in a wide range of habitats from the margins of swamps in the lowlands to ridgetops at 1000 m or more altitude in the highlands, being found both on hillslopes and in valley bottoms.
    Furtado separated the populations from Kelantan and Trengganu as a separate species, D. stipitata on the distinguishing characters: fruit shortly pedicellate, large thorns on sheath blackish and with 3-5 rows of bristles on the leaf underside. However, I have found a whole range of intermediates between the two extremes and feel I cannot justify retaining two species. The variety stramineus was separated from D. verticillaris by Furtado based on the presence of dirty straw coloured rather than reddish fruit scales - here again, such a range of colours is found that the variety is not regarded here as being sufficiently distinct. (Dransfield, J. 1979: A Manual of the rattans of the Malay Peninsula. Malayan Forest Recirds 29.)A

Common Name

  • rotan sabong (Dransfield, J. 1979: A Manual of the rattans of the Malay Peninsula. Malayan Forest Recirds 29.)A

Etymology

  • Verticillaris - whorled, referring to the spine whorls (Dransfield, J. 1979: A Manual of the rattans of the Malay Peninsula. Malayan Forest Recirds 29.)A

Uses

  • Rarely used as a source of a rather poor quality cane. (Dransfield, J. 1979: A Manual of the rattans of the Malay Peninsula. Malayan Forest Recirds 29.)A

Description

  • Very variable, usually solitary rotan with stems rarely exceeding 15 m in length, often flowering when much less. Stems without sheaths to 2 cm in diameter, with sheaths to 3 cm or more. Internodes rather short rarely more than 12 cm long. Sheaths bright green densely armed with interlocking pairs of collars and single collars of short black horse-hair-like spines, rarely more than 2 cm long intermingled with large laminar yellowish green to blackish spines to 6 cm long; interlocking collars forming galleries inhabited by ants. Dark brown indumentum abundant on young sheaths. Knee present but mostly obscured by spines. Leaf to 3 m long with petiole to 40 cm and cirrus to 1 m. Petiole armed with large reflexed spines in whorls and minute bristles in small groups. Leaflets very regular, close ± 45 to 60 on each side of the rachis, longest leaflets to about 40 cm long by 2.3 cm wide, sparsely bristly on mid-vein and some lateral veins below. Inflorescences male and female superficially similar but male more highly branched. Peduncle short to long, very sparsely armed bracts thin finely black bristly. Male flowers tightly packed, distichous; female flowers much larger but also markedly distichous. Fruit rounded sessile or shortly stalked, at maturity to 15 mm in diameter very shortly beaked, covered in 15 vertical rows of pale straw to red-brown scales, with dull brown marginal lines. Seed rounded, somewhat pitted. Endosperm ruminate. Seedling leaf pinnate with few close-set leaflets. (Dransfield, J. 1979: A Manual of the rattans of the Malay Peninsula. Malayan Forest Recirds 29.)A

Bibliography

    A. Dransfield, J. 1979: A Manual of the rattans of the Malay Peninsula. Malayan Forest Recirds 29.
    B. World Checklist of Arecaceae