Anatomy and Identification of South Indian Rattans (Calamus Species)
1993
Bhat, K.M. | Mohamed Nasser, K.M. | Thulasidas, P.K.
The stern anatomy of fifteen species of Calamus occurring in South India was studied to explore the possibility of using anatomical features to distinguish between the rattans at the species level. The most promising features of diagnostic importance are epidermal cell size and shape and 'papilla'-like reflective bodies. While metaxylem vessel diameter, fibre wall thickness and stomatal frequency are often useful, fibre length and diameter, ground parenchyma, vessel perforations and silica bodies are of relatively little value in species separation. Although cell size often differs between the species of two different stern diameter classes, the majority of the anatomical features overlap among the species. Stern position is, however, an important source of anatomical variation. With the possible combination of several anatomical characteristics and stern diameter, a tentative identification key to South Indian rattan species is prepared.
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