Rhino rattan (Plectocomia elongata)

Rhino rattan (Plectocomia elongata) is a species of plant in the Arecaceae, large rattan, single or in clusters, up to 50 meters high, large stem, segment length 30-40 cm, diameter with leaf midrib up to 25-100 mm, grows in forests, along rivers and slopes in the lowlands up to an elevation of 1200 meters.

P. elongata has leaves 6-7 meters long, including a 3 meter apex and a 20-30 cm petiole. The leaf midrib is green with many horizontal spines or rosettes. The leaves number 50-60 on the right and left of the rakis, in the shape of oblong bands, arranged irregularly or in groups of 1-4 items, the upper side is green and the lower side is whitish.



Inflorescences appear from the tip, 7-10 heads, up to 80 cm long and milky white in color. The fruit has a diameter of 1.5 cm and is covered with reddish brown scales. Seeds have a diameter of 1 cm. The flowering season is June-August and the fruit season is until December. This plant dies immediately after bearing fruit.

This plant produces brown to reddish brown rattan sticks, large and hard. The sap is drunk or rubbed on the body to treat fever. The sap is cooked to treat wounds. Edible fruit and flower panicles for decoration.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Subfamily: Calamoideae
Tribe: Calameae
Genus: Plectocomia Mart. ex Blume in J.J.Roemer & J.A.Schultes, Syst. Veg., ed. 15[bis]. 7: 1333 (1830)
Species: Plectocomia elongata Mart. ex Blume in J.J.Roemer & J.A.Schultes, Syst. Veg., ed. 15[bis]. 7: 1333 (1830)
Variety: Plectocomia elongata var. elongata, Plectocomia elongata var. philippinensis Madulid

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Calamus maximus Reinw. ex de Vriese in Hort. Spaarn-Berg.: 35 (1839)
Rotang maximus Baill. in Hist. Pl. 13: 300 (1895)

PUBLICATIONS

Anh, T.T.P. & Henderson, A. (2017). Thực Vật Chí Việt Nam. Flora of Vietnam 13: 1-414. Nhà xuất bản khoa học và kỹ thuật, Hà Nội.

Barfod, A.S. & Dransfield, J. (2013). Flora of Thailand 11(3): 323-498. The Forest Herbarium, National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, Bangkok.

Govaerts, R. & Dransfield, J. (2005). World Checklist of Palms: 1-223. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Henderson, A. (2009). Palms of Southern Asia: 1-197. Princeton university press, Princeton and Oxford.

Nurtjahya, E. & al. (2026). Flowering Plants of Bangka Island: Native and Introduced. Acta Botanica Hungarica 68: 127-156.

Peters, C.M. & Henderson, A. (2014). Systematics, ecology and management of Rattans in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam: 1-222. Agricultural Printing House.

VERNACULAR NAME

English: Rhino rattan
Indonesian: Rotan Badak
Java: Penjalin warak
Melayu: Rotan mantang
Sunda: Bubuay, Bubuway, Hoè badak

Aryo Bandoro
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