Calamus walkeri Hance, J. Bot. 12: 266 (1874)

Primary tabs

https://media.e-taxonomy.eu/palmae/photos/palm_tc_30020_2.jpg

Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
China Southeast present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Vietnam present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
China (South-east China) and Vietnam (except Cochinchina). (Evans, T., Sengdala, K., Thammavong, B., Viengkham, O.V. & Dransfield, J. 2002: A Synopsis of the Rattans (Arecaceae: Calamoideae) of Laos and Neighbouring Parts of Indochina)A

Discussion

  • Beccari (1908) was perhaps misled into believing that C. tonkinensis was distinct by reports that it was erect and not climbing; his later comparisons with C. tenuis were also misleading. The Vietnamese and Chinese material that we have seen match perfectly. The variety brevispicatus was diagnosed on the basis of shorter rachillae (up to 3.5 cm) and the inflorescence branching to only one order. However, the former is of no significance (for example rachillae on the type of C. walkeri range from 2 - 5.5 cm on the single partial inflorescence at K), and the latter feature is not shown by the type. There appears to be very little justification for separating C. faberi and C. walkeri, although we do not feel able to synonymise them here because we have no field experience of either form. Furthermore we were not able to locate the type of C. faberi, which is reportedly kept at W but could not be traced by curatorial staff there in 1999. Nonetheless, all the material examined from the region under study (some of it formerly determined as C. faberi) can easily be considered to lie within the normal range of variation of C. walkeri. It should be noted that all the material in K from Hong Kong (type locality of C. walkeri) bears scattered bristles along at least one costa abaxially; this is the principal character used by Gagnepain & Conrard (1937) and Pei et al. (1991) to identify C. faberi and provides further support for treating the two as conspecific. Two other diagnostic features reported by Gagnepain & Conrard (1937) also fail on the one specimen of C. faberi they cite for Indochina: their specimen has three not four costae adaxially and has smaller, squatter flowers only because it is far from anthesis. A sterile specimen from Rayong (Hodel & Vatcharakorn 1572 in BH) differs from C. walkeri in its unarmed ocrea but cannot be identified as C. faberi and we leave it unnamed. Thus there are still no convincing records of either species from Thailand, contra Hodel & Vatcharakorn (1998). One of the most distinctive parts of the species is its leaf sheath (see Key), which was not available to Beccari but is well represented in e.g. Baker & Utteridge 2. (Evans, T., Sengdala, K., Thammavong, B., Viengkham, O.V. & Dransfield, J. 2002: A Synopsis of the Rattans (Arecaceae: Calamoideae) of Laos and Neighbouring Parts of Indochina)A

Biology And Ecology

  • In forest up to 300 m. (Evans, T., Sengdala, K., Thammavong, B., Viengkham, O.V. & Dransfield, J. 2002: A Synopsis of the Rattans (Arecaceae: Calamoideae) of Laos and Neighbouring Parts of Indochina)A

Conservation

  • Unknown, but likely to be poor since lowland forests have mostly been cleared in its known range. (Evans, T., Sengdala, K., Thammavong, B., Viengkham, O.V. & Dransfield, J. 2002: A Synopsis of the Rattans (Arecaceae: Calamoideae) of Laos and Neighbouring Parts of Indochina)A

Common Name

  • None recorded. (Evans, T., Sengdala, K., Thammavong, B., Viengkham, O.V. & Dransfield, J. 2002: A Synopsis of the Rattans (Arecaceae: Calamoideae) of Laos and Neighbouring Parts of Indochina)A

Uses

  • The cane is of high quality for handicrafts. (Evans, T., Sengdala, K., Thammavong, B., Viengkham, O.V. & Dransfield, J. 2002: A Synopsis of the Rattans (Arecaceae: Calamoideae) of Laos and Neighbouring Parts of Indochina)A

Materials Examined

  • CHINA (SOUTH-EAST): Guangdong, 11 March 1973, (fr.), South China Inst. Bot. Exped. 3013 (IBSC); Hong Kong, undated, (fr.), Hance 18229 (K, BM); Hong Kong Island, Mt Parker, 13 March 1995, (fr.), Baker & Utteridge BU2 (K). VIETNAM (TONKIN): Haiphong Province, near Quang-yen, 11 Sept. 1885, (fr.), Balansa 516 (K, P). (NORTH ANNAM) undated, (stam.), Magalon 22 (P). (CENTRAI, ANNAM): Thua-Thien Province, Hue and environs, undated, (stam.), Eberhardt 1485 (P). (SOUTH ANNAM): Nhatrang, Song-Tan valley, west of Nhatrang, 29 May 1922, (fr.), Poilane 3845 (K, P). (Evans, T., Sengdala, K., Thammavong, B., Viengkham, O.V. & Dransfield, J. 2002: A Synopsis of the Rattans (Arecaceae: Calamoideae) of Laos and Neighbouring Parts of Indochina)A

Bibliography

    A. Evans, T., Sengdala, K., Thammavong, B., Viengkham, O.V. & Dransfield, J. 2002: A Synopsis of the Rattans (Arecaceae: Calamoideae) of Laos and Neighbouring Parts of Indochina
    B. World Checklist of Arecaceae