Calamus flagellum
Calamus flagellum is an Asian species of tropical forest rattan liana in the family Arecaceae, with a native range from Assam to southern China and Indo-China. Its name in Vietnamese is mây song, while the Lepcha of Sikkim call it rim.
Description
Calamus flagellum is a strong climber with stems in clusters forming The individual rattan stems form from a leafsheath up to 45 mm in diameter.Leaves are described as "ecirrate", produced from leafsheaths 6 – 7 m long. Petioles are about 10 mm in diameter, armed with whorls of 10 – 30 mm spines; the leaflets are equidistant, broadly ensiform, with a prominent single vein on upper side; middle leaflets are longer, up to 600 mm long.
Male and female inflorescences are 5 m or more long and armed with claws. The flagellum is attached here. Partial inflorescences occur which are about 1 m long with 3-4 rachillae on each side. The primary closely sheathing bract is tubular and fibrous at upper end. The rachillae are 100–250 mm long, each bearing 10-30 flowers. Male flowers are 8 – 10 mm x 3 mm, curved on the outside. Female flowers are about 7 mm long, with an ovate, 3-toothed calyx and lanceolate petals, positioned remotely on the rachillae. The fruit are about 30 mm long, broadly ovoid with fruit scales deeply channelled in the middle.