CA'LAMUS, a genus of Palms the different species of which yield the Rattan Canes of commerce. Although a genuine palm, yet from the slender stems and general habit, it has more the look of some tall grass, and has been considered as one of the links in the chain of organisation which connect the Grasses with the Palms. Blume gives the following account of the flowers and fruit :—Polygamous-dicecious, or dicecious ; spathes several, incomplete ; flowers sessile, in spikes; calyx 3-toothed or trifid ; petals 3, united at the base; stamens 6; filaments subulate, connected at the base into a cup ; anthers arrow-shaped, fixed by the back. The rudiment of an ovary :— female : ovary 3-celled, surrounded by a staminiferous cup, which is usually sterile ; style scarcely any; stigmas 3, distinct or com bined; berry protected by scales overlapping each other downwards, 1-seeded ; seed surrounded by a succulent flesh ; albumen uneven in the circumference, even in the inside, or near even in the circum ference and ruminated internally; embryo at the base ; leaves pinnated.
The species are principally found in the better parts of the East Indies, where they grow in the forests, climbing over trees and bushes to a greater extent than any other known plants. The stem of Calamus versa is described as being 100 feet long, that of C. oblongus 300 to 400 feet, of C. rudentum upwards of 500 feet, and of C. extensus as much as 600 feet ; Rumphius even states that one kind attains the extraordinary length of 1200 feet (vol. v. 100). It 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 market. These canes are extensively used for the sake of the hard flinty coating of their stems, which are readily split into strips, from which the bottoms of chairs and similar articles are manufactured. It is not possible to say from what particular species the canes of the shops are obtained, it being probable that many are gathered indiscriminately ; C. Botany has however been said to furnish the stouter, and C. Scipionum the slenderer sorts. 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 finally the young shoots of some of them, while still tender, are roasted or boiled, chopped small, and being fried with pepper and gravy, are said to furnish a very delicate dish.
It is not a little remarkable that notwithstanding the polished surface of the stem, almost all the other parts except the fruit should be furnished with stiff hairs and even prickles. The prickles are usually hooked backwards to enable the plants to raise themselves upon the trees among which they grow in their native forests; and to assist them in this operation the terminal pinnm of the pinnated leaves are shortened, hardened, and also hooked backwards. Several species are copiously described in Rumphius's 'Herbarium Amboi nenae,' (vol. v.) under the name of Palmijuncus. Dragon's Blood or Djurnang, is the produce of a species of Calamus. Those which chiefly yield it are the C. petrmus (Lour.), C. rudentum (Lour.), C. Terns (Lour.), and C. Draco (Willd.), of which the last three were by Linnshis reckoned mere varieties of the C. Botang (Linn.). They are natives only of Hindustan, Cochin China, and the Moluccas. The ripe fruits are covered with a reddish-brown dry resinous substance, which is the Dragon's Blood. In this state they are collected, and allowed to remain in rice-mills till the resin drops off. The resin is afterwards melted, either by the natural warmth of the air or by arti ficial heat, and then moulded into the different forms in which it occurs in commerce. Another mode of obtaining it is as follows : The ripe fruits are shaken in bags, and the resin so obtained is formed into pieces about the size of a bean, which are then wrapped up in leaves ; this kind is much prised in the East Indies. A second sort is procured by throwing together the fruits after they have been treated in the foregoing manner, melting them in the sun or with a slow fire, and collecting what exudes, which is then formed into small four cornered cakes. A third sort is obtained from what remains after the two foregoing processes, being run out and formed into round cakes, which contain hard portions of the fruit. According to other accounts, the finest sort is procured by exposing the fruits to the vapour of boiling water, and scraping off the soft resin as it exudes.