Calamus inermis T. Anders.

Mehmud, Selim & Roy, Himu, 2021, Diversity and distribution of palms (Arecaceae) in Assam, India, Check List 17 (1), pp. 69-93 : 76-78

Calamus inermis T. Anders.

Figure 4C, D

Diagnostic characters. Stems clustered, climbing, 8–15

m long, with leaf sheath ca 10 cm in diameter; spines pointing downward, 1–3 cm long; indumentums brown. Leaf pinnate, 2–4 m long, cirri 1–2 m long; petiole 6–7 cm long with 4–5 mm long spines; leaflets many, 50–63 cm long in groups of 2–4, alternate to opposite, inequi- distant, lanceolate, serrated, margin bristly, acuminate, with 3 veins. Knee 6–8 cm long; ocrea inconspicuous, acute, ca 4 mm long. Staminate inflorescence ca 1.8 m long, terminating by ca 3–5 cm long non flagellate organ; partial inflorescences 32–58 cm long; rachillae alternate, 4–7 cm long. Pistillate inflorescence ca 1.3 m long; par- tial inflorescences ca 40 cm long; rachillae zigzag, 8–12 cm long, dyad alternate. Fruits ca 2.6 cm long, perianth tubular and scales in 18 vertical rows.

Flowering and fruiting. November to June.

Distribution. Dima Hasao and East Karbi Anglong districts; prefers hilly areas.

Uses. In furniture (cane).

Material examined. VIETNAM • Khanh Hoa Pro- vince, Khanh Vinh, Khanh Trung Commune ; 12°22′N, 108°49′E; alt. 450 m; 11 Oct. 2016; Andrew Hender- son & Nguyen Quoc Dung leg.; NYBG 02710739 . IN- DIA • 1 ♀; Assam, Dima Hasao, Jatinga ; 25°07′56.3″N, 093°01′15.4″E; alt. 684 m; 27 Jun. 2019; S. Mehmud leg. ; CH, ASSAM 96225 .