Calamus egregius

Botanical Description

Calamus egregius is a spiny, evergreen, climbing palm producing a cluster of unbranched stems that can be 50 metres long and 30 - 50mm in diameter[ 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. ]. The plant yields a high quality stem that is widely used in China as a binding and weaving material in the furniture industry. It is harvested from the wild for this purpose and also as a food. This is a very valuable species that is of excellent quality and of good growth form. It may have great potential for development as a cultivated crop both within and outside its native range, though this needs to be further researched[ 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. ]. There are no reliable estimates of production and trade. In recent years, however, the annual output of the canes may be rather small because of the restricted distribution of the plant and its overexploitation. In the near future it may verge on extinction if not protected in nature reserves[ 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. ]. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].