Home › C › Calamus (From kalamos a reed old Greek)

Calamus (From kalamos a reed old Greek)

(from kalamos, a reed; old Greek name used by Theophrastus). ORD. Palmoe. An elegant genus of stove Palms. Flowers small, usually of a rose or greenish colour, clustered upon branching spikes, each branch having a separate spathe, which is not large enough to enclose it. Fruit one-seeded, and covered with smooth, shining scales. Leaves pinnate. Stems reed-like, 1in. to 2in. in thickness. When in a young state, these palms are most effective as drawing or diningroom decorations; and, when in a more mature condition, they are excellent as stove ornaments and for exhibition purposes. They are all of slender growth, and of easy culture in a compost of equal parts loam and vegetable mould; a copious supply of water being needed to keep them in a flourishing state. Propagated by seeds. C. Rotang, C. viminalis, and several other species furnish the canes usually employed in this country for the bottoms of chairs, couches, &c.

C. accedens (yielding). l. long, arching, dark green, pinnate; pinnae long, narrow, closely set; petioles with slender black spines India. A rare, but elegant, slender-growing, miniature tree.

C. adspersus (scattered). l. pinnate; pinnae 6in. to 8in. long, narrow, deep green; petioles about 6in. in length, sheathing at the base, clothed with long, slender, black spines. Stem not much stouter than a large wheat straw. h. 20ft. Java, 1866.

C. asperrimus (very rough).* l. pinnate, 3ft. to 12ft. long; pinnae 1ft. to 2ft. in length, 1in. in breadth, pendent, light green, upper side with two rows of hair-like spines; petioles broadly sheathing at the base, densely armed with long, stout, black spines. Java, 1877. A beautiful species, which attains a considerable size. (I. H. 275.) C. ciliaris (fringed).* l. pinnate, clothed with a quantity of soft hair-like bristles; petioles sheating at the base. Stem erect and slender. India, 1869. From the plume-like habit of the leaves, it makes a splendid plant for table decoration, as well as being a beautiful specimen for exhibition. C. draco (dragon). l. 4ft. to 6ft. in length, beautifully arched, pinnate; pinnae 12in. to 18in. long, narrow, slightly pendent, dark green; petioles sheathing at base, armed with long, flat, black spines. h. 20ft. to 30ft. India, 1819. A very handsome species, with a robust constitution. C. fissus (cleft). l. ovate in outline, pinnate, when young bright cinnamon; leaflets pendent, dark green, bearing on the upper side a few black hair-like bristles; petioles armed with dark, stout spines. Borneo. A very ornamental species.

C. flagellum (whip-like). l. 6ft. to 8ft. in length when fully grown, pinnate; pinnae pendent, about 1ft. in length and 1in. in breadth, dark green, furnished on the upper side with two rows of long, white, hair-like spines; petioles sheathing, copiously armed with stout white spines, much swollen at the base, and tipped with black. Stem slender.

C. Hystrix (bristly). l. pinnate; petioles spiny. A compact-growing and very graceful species.

C. Jenkinsianus (Jenkins's). l. pinnate, gracefully arched, 2ft. to 6ft. long; pinnae 6in. to 12in. long, 1in. broad, rich dark green; petioles slightly sheathing at the base, armed with long flat spines. Sikkim. C. leptospadix (slender-spadix).* l. pinnate; pinnules about 1/3in. wide, and from 6in. to 12in. long, subulately acuminate; upper surface with three bristle-bearing ribs; a few smaller bristles are disposed along the midrib underneath; margins finely and regularly toothed with small ascending bristles; petiole channelled, tomentose towards the base, bearing three or four solitary needle-like spines, about 1in. long. India. A rare species, and described as one of the most graceful.

C. Lewisianus (Lewis's).* l. ultimately spreading, 2ft. to 6ft. long, pinnate; pinnae equidistant, 1/2in. broad, and from 13in. to 15in. long; veins on the upper surface bristled, under surface smooth; margins rough, with appressed bristles; petioles white, with a broad, sheathing, blackish-brown base, densely armed with long, flat, black spines. India. A fine, but somewhat rare, species.

C. Rotang (Rotang). l. pinnate, from 3ft. to 4ft. in length, very gracefully arched; pinnae 6in. to 12in. long, less than 1in. broad; upper side dark green, with two rows of hair-like spines; petioles and stems armed sparingly with stout, slightly reversed spines. Stems slender. India. When young, especially, this plant is very handsome.

C. Royleanus (Royle's).* l. pinnate, arching; pinnae very numerous, narrow, pendent, deep green; petioles with few spines, dark green. North-west Himalayas.

C. spectabilis (showy).* l. pinnate, with a few pairs of smooth linear-lanceolate, three-ribbed leaflets, measuring 6in. to 8in. long; petioles green, furnished with numerous short conical white spines, tipped with brown. Malacca. A slender-growing species.

C. verticillaris (whorled). l. pinnate, with a very ornamental plume-like appearance; pinnae long, broad, drooping; petioles with the spines arranged verticillately. Malacca. This beautiful species is extremely rare. C. viminalis (twiggy).* l. 1ft. to 2ft. long, pinnate; pinnae about 6in. long, narrow, light green; petioles sheathing, densely armed with long flat white spines. When only 3ft. or 4ft. in height, its spiny whip-like spikes of flowers are often produced. Stem slender. h. 50ft. Java, 1847. The following are other, but less-known, species: australis, elegans, micranthus, niger, oblongus, and tenuis.