Biology:Calamus muelleri
| Southern lawyer cane | |
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| In Nightcap National Park | |
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| Habit | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Arecales |
| Family: | Arecaceae |
| Genus: | Calamus |
| Species: | C. muelleri
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| Binomial name | |
| Calamus muelleri | |
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".
Description
C. muelleri is a clustering, climbing palm growing up to 20 m (66 ft) in length, with thin stems up to 16 mm (0.63 in) diameter. The pinnate fronds are alternate and more or less sessile.[3] They are up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) long with 7-13 leaflets on each side and have long recurved spines on the rachis. The leaflets have spines along the midrib on the upper surface and small sharp spurs on their margins. The leaf sheath is densely covered in spines.[3][4][5]
This species, like others in the genus, produces a modified sterile inflorescence (known as a flagellum)[6] up to 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) long,[3][5] which is armed with dozens of strong, recurved barbs that act like grappling hooks to latch on to nearby vegetation and provide support for the plant.[3][6]
Fertile inflorescences are up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) long and flowering occurs in all months of the year.[4] The fruits are a globose drupe about 12–16 mm (0.47–0.63 in) in diameter, containing a single seed.[3][4][5]
Taxonomy
The southern lawyer cane was first described by the Germany botanist and noted authority on Arecaceae Hermann Wendland, based on specimens collected by Hermann Beckler and others on the Brisbane River and Moreton Bay in Queensland and on the Clarence and Richmond Rivers in New South Wales. Wendland's work was published in the journal Linnaea; Ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange in 1875.[7][8]
Distribution and habitat
Calamus muelleri grows in rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests in subtropical eastern Australia, from around Gympie in Queensland south to the Bellinger and Hastings Rivers in New South Wales.[4][5]
Ecology
Laetesia raveni, a species of spider endemic to eastern Australia, builds its web only in two plant species, Calamus muelleri and Solanum inaequilaterum, both of which are spiny plants.[9]
Conservation
This species is listed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science as least concern.[10] (As of December 2021), it has not been assessed by the IUCN.
Uses
Aboriginal Australians used the cane stems for weaving.[5]
Gallery
Young plant
Spines
Stem
Leaf rachis
Stem
References
- ↑ "Calamus muelleri". Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. https://id.biodiversity.org.au/name/apni/93296.
- ↑ "Calamus muelleri". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/665268-1.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Harden, Gwen; Williams, John; McDonald, Bill et al. (2014). Rainforest Plants of Australia: Rockhampton to Victoria. (Digital identification key, published as USB and mobile app). Nambucca Heads, NSW: Gwen Harden Publishing.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Dowe, J.L.; Jones, D.L. (2020). "Calamus muelleri". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Calamus%20muelleri.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "PlantNET - FloraOnline". Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney. https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Calamus~muelleri.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Isnard, Sandrine; Rowe, Nick P. (December 2008). "The climbing habit in palms: Biomechanics of the cirrus and flagellum". American Journal of Botany 95 (12): 1538–1547. doi:10.3732/ajb.0700005. PMID 21628161. https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.3732/ajb.0700005. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
- ↑ Wendland, H. & Drude, C.G.O. (1875). "Palmae Australasicae". Linnaea: Ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, oder Beiträge zur Pflanzenkunde 39: 193–195. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/122820. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
- ↑ "Calamus muelleri". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2021. https://www.ipni.org/n/665268-1.
- ↑ Hormiga, Gustavo; Scharff, Nikolaj (2014). "The strange case of Laetesia raveni n. sp., a green linyphiid spider from Eastern Australia with a preference for thorny plants (Araneae, Linyphiidae)". Zootaxa 3811 (1): 83–94. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3811.1.4. PMID 24943149. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263321861. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
- ↑ "Species profile—Calamus muelleri". Queensland Government. 2021. https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species-search/details/?id=12821.
External links
- View a map of recorded sightings of Calamus muelleri at the Australasian Virtual Herbarium
- See images of Calamus muelleri on Flickriver
Wikidata ☰ Q5018500 entry
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