Calamus guruba Buch-Ham.

Mehmud, Selim & Roy, Himu, 2021, Diversity and distribution of palms (Arecaceae) in Assam, India, Check List 17 (1), pp. 69-93 : 76

Calamus guruba Buch-Ham.

Figure 3E, F

Diagnostic characters. Stems clustered, climbing, 5–8

m long, with leaf sheath 2–3 cm in diameter; spines tri- angular, ca 1.5 cm long; flagella 1.5–2 m long. Leaf pin- nate, ecirriate, ca 1.3 m long; leaflets regular, 30–40 per side, elliptic to lanceolate, serrated, acuminate, 11– 34 cm long, 0.7–2.5 cm wide and terminally free. Knee green, 3–3.5 cm long; ocrea 8–18 cm long. Inflorescence ca 3.5 m long; partial inflorescence covered by 20–30 cm long bract; flagella ca 2 m long; staminate partial inflo- rescences 11–25 cm long, rachillae 0.7–2 cm long; pistil- late partial inflorescences 15–17 cm long, rachillae 7–11 cm long, with dyad flowers. Fruits globose, brown, ca 1 cm long, scales in 18 vertical rows.

Flowering and fruiting. November to February and January to February, respectively.

Distribution. Cachar, Darrang, Kamrup Rural, Kamrup Metro, Golaghat, Hailakandi, Jorhat, East Karbi An- glong, West Karbi Anglong, Karimganj districts; prefer open plain and sun exposed areas.

Vernacular names. Bhat Bet, Khagori Bet (Assamese); Sundi Bet (Bengali, Dimasha).

Uses. In fishing equipment (cane).

Material examined. INDIA • 1 ♀; Naga Hill , Ranga- paha; 22 Nov. 1964; M. M. Srinivasan leg.; ASSAM 30960 . • 1 ♂; Assam, Cachar, Ramprosadpur ; Feb. 1944; D. F. O. leg.; ASSAM . • Assam, Sibsagar, Disoi Val- ley; alt. 350ft; 27 Apr. 1913; Upendranath Kanjilal leg.; ASSAM 30955 . • 1♀; Assam, Kamrup Rural, Barkhuli, Ukiam ; 25°52′14.2″N, 091°21′11″E; alt. 66 m; 04 Mar. 2018; S. Mehmud leg.; CH, ASSAM 96223 . • 1♂; Assam, Karimganj, Fanairbond ; 24°25′53″N, 092°25′55″E; alt. 03m; 10 Jan. 2019; S. Mehmud leg.; CH, ASSAM 96224 .