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Useful Tropical Plants

Korthalsia echinometra

Becc.

Arecaceae

+ Synonyms

Calamus ochreatus Miq.

Daemonorops ochreata Teijsm. & Binn.

Korthalsia angustifolia gracilis Miq.

Korthalsia horrida Becc.

Common Name:

Korthalsia echinometra
Growing plant
Photograph by: William J. Baker
Image credit to Palmweb
Korthalsia echinometra Korthalsia echinometra Korthalsia echinometra Korthalsia echinometra Korthalsia echinometra Korthalsia echinometra Korthalsia echinometra

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[
1017
Title
Annals of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta. Vol. 12 Part 2
Publication
 
Author
Beccari O.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Bengal Secretariat Book Depot; Calcutta
Year
1916
ISBN
 
Description
A botanical journal, this volume has an extensice treatment of the Asiatic Palms in the subfamily Lepidocaryeae. Although dated, it remains a classic work.
].
The plant has considerable local importance for use in basketry and is commonly harvested from the wild[
1021
Title
A Synopsis of the genus Korthalsia (Palmae; Lepidocaryoideae)
Publication
Kew Bulletin 36.1 pp 163 - 194
Author
Dransfield J.
Publisher
 
Year
1981
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent treatment of the genus Korthalsia
].

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[
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.
,
1017
Title
Annals of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta. Vol. 12 Part 2
Publication
 
Author
Beccari O.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Bengal Secretariat Book Depot; Calcutta
Year
1916
ISBN
 
Description
A botanical journal, this volume has an extensice treatment of the Asiatic Palms in the subfamily Lepidocaryeae. Although dated, it remains a classic work.
].

Botanical References

1017
Title
Annals of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta. Vol. 12 Part 2
Publication
 
Author
Beccari O.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Bengal Secretariat Book Depot; Calcutta
Year
1916
ISBN
 
Description
A botanical journal, this volume has an extensice treatment of the Asiatic Palms in the subfamily Lepidocaryeae. Although dated, it remains a classic work.

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[
1021
Title
A Synopsis of the genus Korthalsia (Palmae; Lepidocaryoideae)
Publication
Kew Bulletin 36.1 pp 163 - 194
Author
Dransfield J.
Publisher
 
Year
1981
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent treatment of the genus Korthalsia
].

Properties

Other Uses Rating *  *  *
HabitEvergreen Climber
Height20.00 m
Cultivation StatusWild

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[
1017
Title
Annals of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta. Vol. 12 Part 2
Publication
 
Author
Beccari O.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Bengal Secretariat Book Depot; Calcutta
Year
1916
ISBN
 
Description
A botanical journal, this volume has an extensice treatment of the Asiatic Palms in the subfamily Lepidocaryeae. Although dated, it remains a classic work.
].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[
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.
].

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[
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.
,
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The canes are much used in basket making, for which purpose it is usually split[
1021
Title
A Synopsis of the genus Korthalsia (Palmae; Lepidocaryoideae)
Publication
Kew Bulletin 36.1 pp 163 - 194
Author
Dransfield J.
Publisher
 
Year
1981
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent treatment of the genus Korthalsia
].
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[
1021
Title
A Synopsis of the genus Korthalsia (Palmae; Lepidocaryoideae)
Publication
Kew Bulletin 36.1 pp 163 - 194
Author
Dransfield J.
Publisher
 
Year
1981
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent treatment of the genus Korthalsia
].
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[
1021
Title
A Synopsis of the genus Korthalsia (Palmae; Lepidocaryoideae)
Publication
Kew Bulletin 36.1 pp 163 - 194
Author
Dransfield J.
Publisher
 
Year
1981
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent treatment of the genus Korthalsia
].
The canes of this species are highly sought after for local use because they are a preferred constituent of particular types of basket[
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.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-10-06. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Korthalsia+echinometra>

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