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Useful Tropical Plants

Korthalsia merrillii

Becc.

Arecaceae

+ Synonyms

Common Name:

Korthalsia merrillii
Botanical specimens of the plant
Photograph by: Annals of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta. Vol. 12 Part 2 1916
Creative Commons License
Korthalsia merrillii Korthalsia merrillii

General Information

Korthalsia merrillii is a spiny, evergreen, climbing palm producing a cluster of long slender stems that can be 25 metres or more long. The stems are 8 - 10mm in diameter and can climb high into the surrounding vegetation. 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 is harvested from the wild for local use as a source of material for basket making and weaving, possibly also as a food.

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.
,
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

Range

Southeast Asia - Philippines

Habitat

Primary forests at elevations from 50 - 200 metres[
1018
Title
A Field Guide to Philippine Rattans
Publication
Asia Life Sciences Supplement 5
Author
Aida C. Baja-Lapis
Publisher
Rushing Water Publishers Ltd; Philippines
Year
2010
ISBN
0117-3375
Description
A very useful book with concise information on the various rattan species that grow in the Philippines
]. Confined to soils derived from ultrabasic rock[
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.
].
Many species n this genus have 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.
]. The oblong fruit is around 20mm long and 15mm wide[
1018
Title
A Field Guide to Philippine Rattans
Publication
Asia Life Sciences Supplement 5
Author
Aida C. Baja-Lapis
Publisher
Rushing Water Publishers Ltd; Philippines
Year
2010
ISBN
0117-3375
Description
A very useful book with concise information on the various rattan species that grow in the Philippines
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The canes are used for handicarafts and as a tying material[
1018
Title
A Field Guide to Philippine Rattans
Publication
Asia Life Sciences Supplement 5
Author
Aida C. Baja-Lapis
Publisher
Rushing Water Publishers Ltd; Philippines
Year
2010
ISBN
0117-3375
Description
A very useful book with concise information on the various rattan species that grow in the Philippines
]. The canes are around 5mm in diameter[
1018
Title
A Field Guide to Philippine Rattans
Publication
Asia Life Sciences Supplement 5
Author
Aida C. Baja-Lapis
Publisher
Rushing Water Publishers Ltd; Philippines
Year
2010
ISBN
0117-3375
Description
A very useful book with concise information on the various rattan species that grow in the Philippines
].
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
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-12-12. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Korthalsia+merrillii>

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