CALAN1US. This genus of palm trees is in digenous to Southern Asia, and Dr. Griffiths enumerated 58 species. They abound in the Madras territories, along the foot of the Himalaya from Dehra Doon to Sylhet, in Assam, Chittagong, in the Malay Peninsula, Siam, Cochin-China, Su matra, and in the Eastern Archipelago., The species are mostly spreading shrubs or small trees, erect, or climbing to a considerable height, or trailing their weak stems several hundred feet along. They furnish the dragon's blood, Malacca canes, and rattans of commerce, some being formed into walking-sticks ; some, as the C. rotang and others, form the canes or rattans of commerce, of which the people of the Khassya hills make bridges 300 feet long, and those of the Animally hills are formed into long looped ladders. The hard flinty coating•of the cane stems arc readily split into strips, from which the bottoms of chairs and similar articles are manufactured. It is not, however, possible to say from .what particular species the canes of the shops are obtained, it being probable that many are gathered indis criminately ; C. rotang has, however, been said to furnish the stouter, and C. scipionum the more slender sorts. But the C. tennis of Assam, C. gracilis, C. extensus, and others, all furnish the canes of commerce. The stem of Calamus verus is described as being 100 feet long, that of C. oblongus 300 to 400 feet, of C. rudeutum upwards of 500 feet, and of C. extensus as much as 600 feet. Rumphius even states (vol. v. 100) that one kind attains the extraordinary length of 1200 feet. The cane stein is closely covered over by the tubular bases of the leaves, through which it is drawn by the cane-gatherers when green ; afterwards it is dried in the sun, and then is ready for the market. The ground rattan is distin guished by its straight head and altogether straight and stiff character, as well as by its pale colour, some of them are at least an inch in diameter, and others not half that thickness. Some are distin guished by a hard, and others by a soft bark. It is not known whether the slender are of the same species as the thicker kinds, only growing in different situations, or from roots of different ages ; but Rhapis flabelliformis is said to yield the ground rattan. Another kind of rattan is called dragon cane. This, both light and dark coloured, is thicker than the last, has long internodes and a hard bark, less flexible than the common rattans, but strong, springy, and much valued. A variety,
with soft bark, is called Manilla dragon cane. Other kinds of canes, imported from China, are known, one with stiff stems and large knots, by the name of Jambee, another as Whangee. This has a pale, hard bark, and flexible stems, with internodes of about an inch and a half or two inches, and a number of little holes at the knots. Some of the canes of commerce, however, are produced by species of bambusa, sacchartun, and other grasses. The flesh that surrounds the seeds of this genus is a delicate article of food ; limpid water flows from the stems when cut through ; and the young shoots of some of them, while still tender, are fritted or boiled, chopped small, and, being fried with pepper and gravy, are said to furnish a very delicate dish. One of the kinds of dragon's blood or jurnang is the produce of species of calamus ; and those which chiefly yield it are the C. petrmus, Lour., C. rudentum, Lour., C. vcrus, Lour., and C. draco, of which the last three were by Linnwus reckoned mere varieties of C. rotang. Mr. Gamble names 39 species.
Calamus arborescens, Gruff, is an arboreous species of rattan common in the Burma jungles. Griffith justly terms it ' a very elegant palm.' Calamus draco, Willde.
Dam-ul-Akhwain, ARAB. Rotan-jarnang, . bIAtAt, Ky-eing-ni, . . Kanda-murga-rattam, Tu-tang, Koh-liu, . CIIIN. TAM.
This grows in Burma, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and the Eastern Archipelago, and is said to be the species which, as a natural secretion of its fruit, yields the best d'jurnang or dragon's blood, an article of commerce from the earliest times, and still in demand. In the forest of Tenasserim, the natives call it 'red rattan,' as it produces a red exudation like dragon's blood. It is little known in the Peninsula of India. The plants when young are elegant, and resemble small palm trees. after which they become Reand t and overrun any neighbouring trees. The fruits are fleshy, red, and astringent. Dragon's blood is of more importance in the arts than in medicine, being chiefly used as an ingredient in varnishes and paints. In commerce it occurs in powder, grains, masses, drops the size of an olive, and in sticks, enveloped in the leaf of the talipot palm.