4 8 liJrRODUCTOEY ESSAY.
I n J a v a the epecies that reach a eonsiderable altitude on the mountains are
C. Javemis, C. heieroideus and C. adspersus; tlie last mentioned has boon
g a t h e r e d by Zollinger on Mount Seiniru at an elevation of Hbout 1800 metres. In
S u m a t r a I have o b t a i n e d C. opaous at 1700 metres on Mount Singalang. In Borneo
a n d in tho P h i l i p p i n e s a f ew species of O'damua have been f o u n d g r o w i n g up to an
e l e v a t i o n of 1900 metres, and in Now Guinea C. Cuthbertsonii occurs at an elevation
of 2o00 metres.
T h e species which exhibits what is perhaps the g r e a t e s t altitudinal range is
(?, yawMSM, f o r it e x t e n d s from the level of the sea to the tops of mountains of
m o d e r a t e height in J a v a , Borneo and the Malayan Peninsula, where however it assumes
p e c u l i a r and very slender forms.
I have not found CaUimi so f r e q u e n t in New Guinea as in B o r n e o : still, the total
n u m b e r of species known from that island is considerable. It seems that a fewr
e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of this genus occur more or less scattered over the whole Papuan
legioD, and as t h e specics there appear s t r i c t l y localized in small areas, it is probable
t h a t , when the flora of the island is t h o r o u g h l y explored, the number present in
N e w Guinea will bo found not to be smaller t h a n the number present in JBorneo
I n I n d i a several species of Calamus contribute to the l u x u r i a n t v e g e t a t i o n of the
f o r e s t - c l a d s u b - H i m a l a y a n slopes of Nepal, S i k k im and Bhutan. C. FlagcUum has been
collected at 1370 metres and C. acanthospathus at 1800 metres in Sikkim; this is
t h e highest a l t i t u d e that I find recorded as a t t a i n e d by a Calamus in the Himalaya.
T h e same a l t i t u d e of 1800 metres is reached by C. Euegelianus and 1900 metres
i s r e a c h e d by C. Brandisii in t h e N i l g i r i m o u n t a i n s in Southern India.
I n the most completely explored f o r e s t s of the districts of P e r a k and Malacca in
t h e Malayan Peninsula, several species of Calamus, such as C. DiepenhorsUi, C, javen&is
0. bubucnds, C. cxiUs, C. luridus, etc., have been found g r o w i n g on Gunong Tambun
B a t a k , Gunong Buba, Mount Opliir, on the T a i p i n g liills, etc., at elevations of f r om
1,000 t o 1,900 meti-es.
As r e g a r d s the geographical distribution of the Calami, taking into consideration
o n l y those species that occur within the b o u n d a r i e s of the British I n d i a n Empire, I
h a v e to observe that the Calami found <m the southern slopes of the Himalaya,
f o l l o w i n g the Burmese " l i t t o r a l " f r om C h i t t a g o n g to Pegu and Teiiasserim, pass into
t h e Malayan Peninsula, which is t h e chief h e a d - q u a r t e r s of endemic species.
I n the I n d i a n Peninsula the h e a d - q u a r t e r s of the genus lie in its most southern
e x t r e m i t y . The I n d i a n species so far known number 83 or about 40 per cent, of all
k n o w n species; of t h e s e 71 are endemic and 12 e x t e n d to other countries. As already
s t a t e d , t h e I n d i a n region that is the richest in Calami is tho Malayan P e n i n s u l a , which
possesses 31 species, or 40 per cent, of those belonging to the I n d i a n flora and 16-5
p e r cent, of the known species of the genus. Of the 31 only one apeeies, C. palusiris,
h a s been found north of the Isthmus of Krau, and are eodemic.
I n Northern India tho two principal head-quarters of Calami are Sikkim and
Assam. The following are tho species g r o w n i g in Sikkim;—(7. eroolus, C. scMsospai/m,
C. Flagellum, C. lepiospadix, C. acantkospatim, C. lalifolius, C. laiifolius marmoralus,
C. inermis; the f o l l o w i n g are those of Assam ereclua, C. lepiospadix, C. Jlorihmdut,
C. Kmffianus, C. viminalis, C. tennis, C. Caruba, C. gracilis, C. khasiaftus, C. nambaricnsis.
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTEIBDTION. 4&
Burma is r i c h in Calami, especially in its littoral regions. Tenasserini and tho
Mergui Archipelago, though botanically very little known, h a v e supplied v e r y peculiar
forms, m a n y of which belong to the group with long open flat spathes, such as
C. plaiy spa thus, C. nitidus, etc. Especially characteristic! of the l i t t o r a l r e g i o n s of Burma
a r e C. hypoleticus, C. leucotcs and C. myriantlms which have their leaflets coated
-on t h e i r lower surface w i t h a more or less w h i t e p u l v e r u l e n t or clialky i n d u m e n t u m.
Of the y species g r o w i n g in the A n d a m a n and Nicobar Islands, C. longisetus is also
f o u n d in Burma, C. viininalhS and C. palustris are,.widespread species, and C. tmifarius
Pentom is a curious geographical form of a Javanese species. The others are endemic,
but of these C. pseudo-rivalis, 0. Rel/eriams and C. andamanictis appear somewhat
a l l i ed to certain Ceylon species.
One of the principal conditioas of existence for Calami being an a b u n d a n t humid
i t y of atmosphere, they are absent f r o m the dry and hot regions of the Indus and
U p p e r G a n g e t i c P l a i n s , a n d f r om t h e C e n t r a l Provinces.
S o u t h e r n India, i n c l u d i n g Sir J. D. Hooker's provinces of Malabar and the
Deccan, has 12 species: of these C. Rotang is found also in Ceylon unmodified
t h r e e others also occur in Ceylon, but are r e p r e s e n t e d on the c o n t i n e n t by v a r i e t i e s of.
g e o g r a p h i c a l species—C. Thwailesii canaramis, C. pseudo-tenuis, C. Metsianus—(= C.
rivalis ? ) ; the r e m a i n d e r a r c endemic.
Ceylon has 11 species, of which 7 a r e e n d e m i c and 4 arc represented by varieties
or reappear u n c h a n g e d on the C o n t i n e n t . I ' h e S o u t h I n d i a n and Ceylon Calami taken
as a whole are nowhere to be f o u n d n o r t h of L a t . 17° N.
Of t h e Ceylon Calami, C. delieazulus appears allied t o C. nieoharictis and C. Selferianua
C. nvalis to C. pseudo-rivalis, and C. ovoideus to C. andamanicus.
T h e I n d i a n non-endemic species of Calamus, not i n c l u d i n g the Malayan Peninsul
a r , arc as follows:—C. viminalis, C. tenuis, C. palustris, 0. unifaritis. If the
M a l a y a n Peninsular species be added to the four just enumerated, we have the
f o l l o w i n g non-endemic:—C. javensis, C. paspalanihus, C. DiepenJiorsiii, C. ornatus, C.
Scipionum, C. viridispinus, C. caesius, C. Oxleyanus.
Of these non-cndemic species of the Malayan Peninsula, we find in J a v a C.
viminalis, C. javensis, C. oriiaius; in Sumatra C. Diepenhorstii, C. ornatus, C. Scipionum,
.C. viridispimis; finally in Borneo C. javemis, C. paspaknthus, C. Diepenhorstii, C. ornatus,
C. Scipionum, C. caesivs.
T h e I n d i a n Calami that have the widest geographical d i s t r i b u t i o n are C. tenuis
C. viminalis, C. palustris.
T h e f o l l o w i n g is a summary of the geographical d i s t r i b u t i o n of the species oi
Calamus in I n d i a , according to the botanical provinces proposed y Sii- J. D.
H o o k e r in Ids " S k e t c h of the Flora of British I n d i a " :—
Specie.
I . Eastern Himalaja ... ... ... 6
11. Weatern Himalaya ... ... ... j
I I I . Indus Plain
IT. (o) Upper Gangetio Plain
(i) Bengal and Suadrabans ... ... ... 5
Y, "VI. Malabar and Deccan ... ... ... J2
VU. Coybn ... ... ... ... n
VIII. Burma .. ... ... ... 22
IX. Malay PeuiiiBula ... ... .„ 31
Aun. Roy. Box. Gard. C a l c u t t a Yor. XI.