Calamus tetradactylus
Calamus tetradactylus
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
A plant of the humid, lowland tropics, growing at elevations below 600 metres[1]. It is found in areas where the mean annual rainfall is in the range 1,300 - 3,000mm, and the mean annual temperature is 20 - 30°c[1]. Temperatures even a little below freezing will kill seedling plants[1]. Grows best with its roots in the shade but its stems growing up into the light. Requires a fertile and damp soil with medium to high amounts of humus and a pH value of 4.5 - 6.5[1]. Flowering usually begins 3 - 4 years after planting[1]. Clumps consisting of over 100 aerial stems with a total stem length of over 350 metres have been found in the wild[1]. Site preparation for cultivation involves thinning the forest canopy to permit 40 - 50% light penetration, cutting and cleaning planting lines and preparing planting holes. Seedlings need organic manure for optimum growth. Planting should be carried out in the rainy season[1]. Although it is recognized that the plant has the capacity to grow well in open areas, young leaves may be scorched by full sunlight[1]. The highest yield are obtained when planted as a sole crop[1]. A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if seed is required[2].
Propagation
Seeds should be extracted and cleaned immediately after the mature fruits are collected in order to obtain a high germination percentage[1]. The outer scaly pericarp of the fruits and the sarcotesta can be removed completely by rubbing the seeds in water with some sand, then the extracted seeds have to be cleaned and kept at a moisture content of 25 - 35%[1]. Seed moisture content of less than 25% will decrease viability and below 20%, the seeds may dry out, causing the embryo to die[1]. Germination percentage of fresh mature seeds can reach 98%. Usually seed starts to germinate 15 - 25 days from sowing; a few seeds germinate after 60 - 90 days[1]. The development of the seedling is slow; the first leaf appears after 2 - 3 months; after 18 - 30 months, the primary stem may exceed 50 cm in length, and the first flagellum and 2 - 3 sucker shoots may have developed[1]. Normal nursery practice in China is first to soak seeds in clear water for 1 - 3 days, then to sow seeds in clean sand beds under shade. After 50 - 70 days, young seedlings, with the primary leaf unexpanded, can be transplanted into potting bags containing soil with mixed nutrients (the ratio of forest topsoil to pond mud to composted manure is 50:50:1); the potted seedlings have to be placed in the nursery under semi-shade which is the optimum light regime for the seedlings. Seedlings 15 to 18 months old and with 7-9 leaves are ready for planting out in the field[1]. Like other clustering rattans, this species can be propagated by sucker shoots, but propagation by seeds is a more common method[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Calamus+tetradactylus>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]World Agroforesty Centre — http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ ↩︎An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc.
- [2]Plant Resources of Southeast Asia — http://proseanet.org/ ↩︎Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
- [3]Annals of the Royal Botanical Garden, Calcutta Vol. XI and Appendix — Dr Odoardo Beccari · Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta · 1908 ↩︎This volume of the journal is dedicated entirely to a monograph of the genus Calamus, which remains an important treatment over 100 years later.
- [4]A Field Guide of the Rattans of Cambodia — Khou Eang Hourt · World Wildlife Fund · 2008 ↩︎A draft publication giving an excellent concise guide to the various rattan species growing in Cambodia.
- [5]Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants — http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 ↩︎Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
- [6]Speciality Rattans of the ASEAN — A. C. Baja-Lapis · National Herbarium, Nederland. · 2009 · http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/nhn/blumea ↩︎A description of the uses and agricultural practices for 11 selected species of rattan.