4 b INTKOUUCTOBY ESSAY.
extends furthest north, its extreme limit being Kumaon in the Western Himalaya.
In Eastern Asia the most northern poiut is attained by C. formoaams, which has been
collected at Kalung iu North Formosa, in Lat. 29' 30' N., but it is possible that some
other species of Calamus may occm- further to the north and east in the Japanese
Archipelago of Liu-kiu, for I have seen, in the Leiden Herbarium, some fruits of a
Daemonorops labelled " Japonia, ran Siebold." We may therefore expect that one or
more species of Calamus aliso occur there.
An unnamed Calamus, apparently allied to C. Moselcaanu^, has been discovered by
H. N. Moseley in the Admiralty Islands; this and 0. vitiemis, which has been found in
the Island of Taviuni, Long. 180° E., in the Fiji group, are the only species of Calamus
as yet known to occur to the east of New G-uinea. C. vitiensis is undoubtedly the
most eastern species of the genus and is the only one that occiura in the remote
Pacific Islands.
We know of eight species from Tropical Africa. Their area of distribution ranges
from the mouths of tho rivers Senegal aad Gambia to the White Nile where a species,
C. Sckweinfurlhii, has been discovered by Dr. Schweinfurth near the equator in the
Niam-Niam und Monbuttu country. The other known African spades have their
home on the coasts of the G-ulf of Guinea north of the Equator. So far no Calami
have been recorded from the very large and botanical]y unexplored region whieii
lies between the mouth of the Niger and the home of C. ¡^ahtoeiiifurikii. It is almost
impossible to believe that there are no representatives of the genus in this wide tract,
extending as it Joes over 29 degi-ees of longitude.
The African Calami do not differ strikingly from some of the Asiatic species of
the flagelliferous and non-cirriferous groups, and form a distinct group of closely related
species, very difficult to distinguish from each other.
Summing up our knowledge of the general geographical distribution of the species
of Calamus we may say that this genus occupies the very large tropical and sub-tropical
area iu the Old World which ranges in latitude from 30° N. to 30° S. and in longitude
from 17° W. to 180° E., or a good deal more than half the circumference of the globe.
Generally speaking, nearly all the species of Calamui have a very limited geographical
distribution. Each botanical region and sub-region has numerous species
peculiar to itself and there are extremely few species that occupy a very wide area.
The few that are at all widespread, such as C. viminalis and C. palustris, affect
the frequently flooded forests of low-lying lands near the sea. C. palustris, with
its numerous varieties, extends from tho mouths of the Ganges to Cochin-China,
and appears to be the species from whicli have origmated others endemic in
tho southern islands of the Philippines and in the Moluccas. C. ornatus is also
represented by distinct varieties in the maritime regions of Java, Sumatra, the Malay
Peninsula, Borneo and the Philippines; this species is perhaps indebted for its wide
area to the dispersal of its fleshy fruits by birds. Of the inland species C. tenuis is the
one most frequently met with; it extends right across Northern India from Kumaon
eastward to Burma, and occurs also in Oochin-China.
I have already remarked that each region possesses species peculiar to itself
but th© main head-quarters of endemic Calami are evidently the Malayan Peninsula,.
QEOGBAPHICAl DISTRIBUTION.
Borneo, Littoral Burma, the Philippines and New Guinea ; among these centres
perhaps Borneo and the Malayan Peninsula hold the leading places. Java posseeses
various species in common with Sumatra, but some uncertainty exists as regards the
exact habitat of several of the Javan and Sumatran species, owing to the fact that
some confusion and admixture appear to have taken place among the specimens
preserved in Dutch herbaria, and gathered by early collectors in these countries.
I imagine besides that many Calami still remain to be collected in Sumatra, especially
in the basins of the large rivers that reach its east cnast.
As an instance of the great localisation of Calami I may mention Borneo, where,
out of the 30 species known to occur, only iive grow also in the Malayan Peninsula,
in spite of the similarity of the two floras. Nor are those five absolutely identical ;
they are represented by geographical varieties.
All the species known to occur in Celebes, the Moluccas, and New Guinea are
also endemic within their respective areas.
As has already been said, the number of species of Calamus at present known
to exist, exceeds 200. Possibly, however, this number only represents about two-thirds
of the species that actually exist, a very large tract of forest-land in the Malayan
Peninsula, New Guinea, Borneo, Sumatra, the Philippines, Burma, Siam, Cochin-China,
Equatorial Africa, North Australia, etc., being still botanically unexplored.
The flotangs or Palm Lianes, including in this category, besides Calamus, the other
scandent Lepidocaryece, such as Daemonorops, Korthalsia, Plectoeomia, &c., form one of
the striking features of the virgin tropical forests of the Old World. In America
climbing palms, though represented by several species of Desmoncus, are far less
abundant than in Asia and Indonesia.
Tho Rotangs are never gregarious, but always grow isolated in the forest, and
none of tho species are ever so abundant as to give a special character to the
forest vegetation. In certain localities, however, especially in deep valleys where
the soil is rich in humus at the foot of the mountains, several species of Calavius
may often be found growing in company within a very limited area, and I recollect
having collected about 20 species of Palm Lianes ( Calamus and Daemonorops) in
a narrow valley at the base of Mount Mattang in Borneo.
The graceful fronds of Calami may often be seen arching downward from trees
and rocks along the banks of rivers, but generally Palms of this kind prefer the deep
shade of the primitive forest of the plains and of the slopes of the mountains, some
times reaching their tops when these do not exceed l,o00-l,800 metres in elevation.
Rofangs are never to be met with in the secondary forest, or in that which grows
up after the primary forest has been destroyed. C. salicifalius and C. tonkinensis,
two C 'chin-Chinese species, are perhaps an exception to this rule, for they apparently
grow in open situations and consequently have less of a forestal character than other
Calami; they are not scandent but bushy, and their leaves are of firm texture and
have a glaucous appearance.
A few non-scandent species of Calamus form pai-t of the undergrowth of the great
forests, along with several other Palms. Among these may be enumerated C. castaneua,
C. GnffilManus, C. baeulanis, C. Lobbianus, C. Burckianus, C, perakensis, C.
and probably a few others.