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Calamus renukae
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Family:
ARECACEAE/PALMAE
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Citation: Calamus renukae J.Jacob, N.Mohanan & Kariyappa, Rheedea 18: 29. 2008.
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Malayalam Name(s):
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Tamil name(s):
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English name(s):
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Description:
Clustering climbing rattans reaching up to 25 m in height. Stem with sheath 5-5.5 cm and without sheath 4-4.5 cm in diameter towards upper nodes, without sheath 1.8-2 cm at basal nodes; internodes to 20 cm long. Leaves to 1.8 m long, ecirrate; leaf sheath pale green or greenish brown, densely brown tomentose towards the apex, densely spiny; spines brown, up to 1.5 cm long, flat, bulbous at base, arranged in groups intermingled with smaller solitary ones, grouped ones arranged in semi-circular series; knee large and conspicuous, densely spiny; ochrea absent; flagellum up to 6 m long; primary sheath of flagellum about 40 cm long, slightly flat, biconvex, densely armed with seriate and solitary spines, brown tomentose; spines on the secondary sheath and flagella black, backwardly pointed, arranged in groups of three; petiole to 35 cm long; rachis biconvex; rachis and petiole spiny and brown tomentose on both sides; spines grouped and solitary intermingled, a few adaxial spines longer, up to 1.3 cm long and bulbous based; leaflets regular, to 56 x 3.5 cm, narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, spinulose on margins, tips armed with short bristles, ciliate on three veins on the dorsal side and mid vein on ventral side; cilia up to 1 cm long, black at base; apical leaflets free. Female inflorescence stout, to 2-3 m long, flagellate, with up to 4 partial inflorescence; primary sheath brown, stout, up to 30 cm long, slightly compressed, 1.5-2.2 cm in diameter at base, 3-3.8 cm in diameter at top, closely sheathing, tubular and funnel shaped, densely armed with spines and brown tomentum; spines up to 1 cm long, seriately grouped ones and solitary mingled; partial inflorescence 15 to 30 cm long, apparently panicled, producing secondary branches and a few basal secondary branches again branching to produce tertiary branches; secondary branches 10-13 cm long; tertiary branches 2-8 cm long, recurved; secondary sheath unarmed, closely sheathing. Female flowers numerous; involucrophore stalked; involucre disc shaped. Fruit globose, 1.8-2 cm in diameter; scale reddish brown, channeled in the middle, in 24 rows; endosperm ruminate.
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Habit:
Climber
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Flowering & Fruiting:
Throughout the year
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District(s):
Palakkad
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Medicinal:
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Habitat:
Evergreen forests
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Distribution:
Southern Western Ghats
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Aquatic:
No
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Epiphyte(s):
No
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Saprophyte:
No
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Stem parasite:
No
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Root parasite:
No
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Flower colour(s):
Creamy, Yellow
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Weed:
No
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Monocot/Dicot:
Monocotyledonous Plants
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Exotic:
No
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Garden:
No
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Edible:
No
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Vegetable:
No
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Endemic to:
Kerala
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IUCN status:
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Altitude:
1200-1400
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Localities:
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