Waixigai, Leiaxi, Wai namlee
Calamus henryanus

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

A rattan. The stems are in clusters. They climb to 20 m tall. They are 1.8 cm wide. The leaf sheaths have mottled red brown hairs. There are spines 2 cm long. The leaf stalks are 1.3 m long with 30-45 narrow leaflets on each side. These are arranged regularly. The middle leaflets are 15-40 cm long by 1-2 cm wide. The flowering shoots are 4.5 m long. The fruit are yellowish brown and round or oval. They are 1-2 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 below 1300 m altitude in Yunnan in China. It grows in monsoon forest. In Laos it grows between 450-1,300 m altitude. In Sichuan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Indochina, Laos, Myanmar, SE Asia, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten raw. The shoots are eaten as a potherb.

Edible parts

Fruit, shoots

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Gen lan bie, Wai

Synonyms

Calamus balansaeanus Becc.; Calamus henryanus Becc. var. castaneolepis C. F. Wei;