Calamus thysanolepsis

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

A cane or rattan. The stems are in clusters and are not climbing. They can be underground or erect and 5 m tall. They are 5 cm across. The leaf sheaths are greenish brown. There are needle like spines 2 cm long. The leafy stalk is 1.5 m long with 28-49 sword shaped leaflets on each side. These are clustered and spread in different planes. The middle ones are 30-37 cm long and 2 cm wide. The fruit are yellow and edible. They are oval and 1.5 cm long by 1 cm wide.

There are 375-400 Calamus species. There are 175 species in tropical Asia.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in lowland rain forests below 800 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Indochina, SE Asia, Vietnam

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Calamus thysanolepis Becc.;