Wait-a-while | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Clade: | Commelinids |
Order: | Arecales |
Family: | Arecaceae |
Genus: | Calamus |
Species: | C. Australis |
Binomial name | |
Calamus Australis | |
Synonyms [3] | |
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Calamus australis, commonly known as wait-a-while, hairy mary or lawyer cane, is a plant in the palm family Arecaceae which is endemic to the rainforests of north east Queensland, Australia. Like other species in the genus Calamus , this is a climbing plant with a very long and flexible stem. It uses sharp strong hooks on the fronds and tendrils to attach itself to other vegetation, such as taller established trees, thus gaining support that enables it to grow higher towards the canopy. This species is very similar to C. radicalis , with which it coexists, but is smaller in almost all respects.
Stems may reach lengths of up to 35 m (110 ft) and a diameter of 2 cm (0.8 in). [4] [5] The leaves (or fronds) are produced on the youngest part of the stem, and the older sections are bare as the leaves age and fall off (exactly the same process as the more familiar upright palm with a stout stem). The older, leafless part of the stem of Calamus australis is smooth and glossy green. [4] [5]
The leaves have a long leaf sheath clasping the stem, which is densely covered with needle-like spines measuring up to 10 cm (3.9 in) long, but usually less. Tendrils, measuring several metres in length and armed with many stout, recurved barbs are produced from the leaf sheath. The leaf itself is pinnate, up to 1.5 m (5 ft) in length, and has around 20 to 25 pairs of leaflets. [4] [5] Leaves are armed with stout recurved barbs on the lower surfaces of the rachis. [4] [5] Unlike its very similar sister species C. radicalis, it does not have spines on the leaflets themselves. The overall outline of the leaf is elliptic and the longest leaflets are at the midpoint, measuring about 30 cm (12 in) long by 3 cm (1.2 in) wide. [4] [5]
The inflorescences are pendulous panicles measuring up to 2 m (6.6 ft) in length, carrying either staminate (functionally male) or pistillate (functionally female) flowers. [4] [5]
Fruits are a white or cream drupe, around 8 to 14 mm (0.3 to 0.6 in) diameter, with a scaly exterior. [4] [5] They contain a single round seed which is surrounded by a thin layer of soft edible flesh.
Calamus australis was first described 1838 by the German botanist Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius in volume 3 of his highly regarded work Historia naturalis palmarum . [2] [3]
This is the most widespread of the eight Australian species of Calamus. [4] It is endemic to tropical areas of Queensland, from the tip of Cape York Peninsula south to near Rockhampton on the Tropic of Capricorn, and from sea level to about 1,600 m (5,250 ft). It grows in gallery forest and well developed rainforest. [4] [5]
Fruits of this species are eaten by fruit doves (genus Ptilinopus ) and cassowaries (Casuarius casuarius). [5] [6]
This species is listed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science as least concern. [1] As of 10 December 2022 [update] , it has not been assessed by the IUCN.
Indigenous Australians had many uses for this plant and its sister species. The young shoots were eaten, along with the fruits. [7] The long flexible stem was used to construct shelters, make axe handles, fish traps, snares, and waist straps for climbing trees, [4] [7] and the thorny tendrils were used to catch fish. [7]
Archontophoenix alexandrae, commonly known as Alexandra palm, king palm, northern Bangalow palm, or feather palm, is a palm endemic to Queensland, Australia. It was named in honour of Princess Alexandra of Denmark, but is often erroneously referred to by the misnomer Alexander palm.
Normanbya is a monotypic genus of palms containing the single species Normanbya normanbyi, which is known by the common name black palm It is endemic to Queensland, Australia and is threatened by habitat destruction.
Ptychosperma macarthurii, commonly known as the Macarthur palm, is a species of tree in the palm family Arecaceae. Its native range is northern Cape York Peninsula in Queensland with a number of disjunct populations in the Northern Territory and New Guinea. The species has been widely planted in tropical areas and is commonly grown as an indoor plant.
Macrozamia glaucophylla is a species of cycad from the genus Macrozamia and the family Zamiaceae. Endemic to New South Wales, Australia, this species has features that resembles palms, although both species are taxonomically quite different. The current population trend of Macrozamia glaucophylla is stable with 2,500 to 10,000 mature individuals. The species are found in several habitats including forest and savanna. Ecologically, Macrozamia glaucophylla lives in terrestrial system, a land-based community of organisms where the biotic and abiotic components interact in the given area.
Archontophoenix cunninghamiana – commonly known as Bangalow palm, king palm, Illawara palm or piccabeen palm – is a tree in the palm family Arecaceae which is endemic to the east coast of New South Wales and Queensland, Australia.
Myrialepis is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family, the single species, Myrialepis paradoxa, native to Southeast Asia. The genus name is a combination of the Greek words meaning "innumerable" and "scale", a description of the fruit, and the epithet is Latin for "paradox".
Diploglottis australis, known as the native tamarind, is a well known rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It is easily identified by the large sausage shaped leaflets.
Elaeocarpus bancroftii, commonly known as Kuranda quandong, Johnstone River almond, ebony heart, grey nut, or nut tree is a large rainforest tree in the family Elaeocarpaceae which is endemic to Queensland. It has coriaceous leaves, attractive white flowers and relatively large fruit containing an edible kernel.
Dysoxylum pettigrewianum, commonly known as spur mahogany, spurwood, or Cairns satinwood, is a large tree in the family Meliaceae. It is native to the rainforests of Malesia, Papuasia and Queensland. In Queensland it occurs only in a small part of the northeast coast.
Ptychosperma elegans, commonly known as the solitaire palm, is a very slender palm endemic to Queensland in Australia. In the nursery trade and in the United States it may be confusingly referred to as Alexander palm, which is an often-used but misnomered name of another Australian palm species Archontophoenix alexandrae, the Alexandra palm.
Calamus muelleri, commonly known as southern lawyer cane or wait-a-while, is a climbing palm with a vine-like habit, endemic to the subtropical coastal rainforests of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland. Sharp hooks on the plant can snag the clothing of walkers in these forests, giving rise to the name "wait-a-while".
Carnarvonia araliifolia, commonly known as the red oak, red silky oak, Caledonian oak or elephant's foot, is the sole species in the monotypic genus Carnarvonia, a member of the Proteaceae plant family. It is endemic to the rainforests of northeastern Queensland.
Dysoxylum arborescens, commonly known in Australia as Mossman mahogany, is a small tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is native to rainforests of Malesia, Papuasia, Queensland and nearby islands.
Calamus erectus, also known as viagra palm and locally as tynriew, tara, and zhi li sheng teng, is a flowering shrub in the family Arecaceae. The specific epithet (erectus) refers to the plant's habit of growing straight rather than creeping or climbing like many species of the genus Calamus.
Hydriastele wendlandiana, commonly known as Wendland's palm, cat o' nine tails, creek palm or kentia palm, is a tall, multi-stemmed tree in the palm family Arecaceae. It is native to New Guinea and the Australian states of Queensland and the Northern Territory.
Myristica insipida, commonly known in Australia as Australian nutmeg, Queensland nutmeg or native nutmeg, is a small rainforest tree in the family Myristicaceae native to parts of Malesia, Papuasia and Australia. It is closely related to the commercially-important species of nutmeg, M. fragrans.
Calamus draco is an Asian species of rattan plant in the family Arecaceae; its native range is from peninsular Thailand to western Malesia. It is a source of the red resin known as dragon's blood, which is a pigment with medicinal uses.
Calamus moti is a climbing rainforest plant in the palm family Arecaceae, which is endemic to Queensland. It has a slim flexible stem which does not support the plant, instead it climbs to the forest canopy with the assistance of long tendrils armed with stout recurved hooks.
Calamus radicalis, commonly known as vicious hairy mary, is a plant in the palm family Arecaceae endemic to the rainforests of north east Queensland, Australia. Like other species in the genus Calamus, this is a climbing plant with a very long and flexible stem. It uses sharp strong hooks on the fronds and tendrils to attach itself to other vegetation, such as taller established trees, thus gaining support that enables it to grow higher towards the canopy. This species is very similar to C. australis, with which it coexists, but is larger in almost all respects.
Benstonea monticola, commonly known as scrub breadfruit or urchin-fruited pandan, is a plant in the family Pandanaceae which is endemic to rainforested parts of north east Queensland, Australia.