Abstract

Mensurational studies were made on 10 species of Calamus, each represented by 10-34 stems collected from natural stands. The species were classified by mean diam. into large-diam. canes (18 mm: C. dransfieldii and C. thwaitesii)medium-sized canes (10-18 mm: C. gamblei, C. hookerianus, C. pseudotenuis and C. vattayila)and small-diam. canes (10 mm: C. metzianus, C. rotang, C. travancoricus and Calamus sp.) The variation in mean stem diam., internode length and relative density with ht. level (relative distance from the stem base) is shown in graphs, by specieslogarithmic regression equations are given for the diam. /ht. level relation. Relative density varied widely between species, but was generally highest at the base and lowest at the top of the stem. Various correlations between the mean characteristics of different stems and [total] stem ht. were not generally significant, or were fairly loose