Common Name:

General Information

Korthalsia echinometra is a spiny, evergreen, climbing palm producing a cluster of long slender stems around 12 - 20mm in diameter that can climb high into the surrounding trees. Unbranched in its lower parts, the stem often produces a number of branches in the canopy where it can form considerable entanglements. The stem is very slender towards the base, but new growth gradually thickens, reaching its greatest diameter at the upper end at the time of flowering[].
The plant has considerable local importance for use in basketry and is commonly harvested from the wild[].

Known Hazards

Many species in this genus have ants living on them in structures evolved by the plant known as ocreas. In some species the ants can be very aggressive[, ].

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Malaysia, Indonesia (Sumatra, Kalimantan)

Habitat

Found in a wide range of habitats, especially primary Dipterocarp forest, though avoiding peat swamp forests and forests on alluvium; at elevations up to 1,000 metres[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Climber
Height	20.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A monocarpic species, it can grow for many years without flowering, then flowers prolifically before setting seed and dying. The flowers are produced in panicles at the ends of the stems[].This species, like many others in this genus, has a close association with ants that make their nests within swollen structures in the leaf sheaths known as ocreas. The ant-rattan relationship also seems to involve the presence of scale insects that are husbanded by the ants for honey dew on young rattan tissue. Ants occupying the ocreas of some species can be extremely aggressive[].

Edible Uses

The fruit of all members of this genus is more or less edible. It is sometimes eaten, but there is little flesh and it is therefore more likely to be used as a famine food when little else is available[, ].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The canes are much used in basket making, for which purpose it is usually split[].
All members of the genus produce long and very durable canes and are used to make some of the most durable and attractive carrying baskets in southeast Asia. Unfortunately, the inner epidermis of the leaf sheaths adheres to the stem, making it difficult to clean and leaving the stem lacking the attractive, shiny appearance of many Calamus species. In addition, the nodes are frequently very irregular and marked with shallow pits or the remains of branches The canes are very widely used locally and often traded, but not usually more widely than local markets[].
Large diameter canes are used for purposes such as large fish traps and the framework of cheap furniture. Smaller diameter canes can be used whole or split for binding, weaving etc[].
The canes of this species are highly sought after for local use because they are a preferred constituent of particular types of basket[].

Propagation

Seed -

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Captcha: if i have 3 bananas, and i eat them all, how many bananas did i just eat?