GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. V AT 
Borneo, Littoral Burma, the Philippines and New Guinea; among these centres 
perhaps Borneo and the Malayan Peninsula hold the leading places. Java possesses 
various species in common with Sumatra, but some uncertainty exists as regards the 
exact habitat of several of the Javan and Sumatran species, owing to the fact that 
some confusion and admixture appear to have taken place among the specimens 
‘preserved in Dutch herbaria, and gathered by early collectors in these countries. 
I imagine besides that many Calami still remain to be collected in Sumatra, especially 
‘in the basins of the large rivers that reach its east coast. 
As an instance of the great localisation of Calami I may mention Borneo, where, 
out of the 30 species known to oecur, only five grow also in the Malayan Peninsula, 
in spite of the similarity of the two floras. Nor are these five absolutely identical ; 
they are represented by geographical varieties. 
Ail the species known to occur in Celebes, the Moluccas, and New Guinea are 
also endemic within their respective areas, 
As has already been said, the number of species of Calamus at present known 
to exist, exceeds 200. Possibly, however, this number only represents about two-thirds 
-of the species that actually exist, a very large tract of forest-land in the Malayan 
Peninsula, New Guinea, Borneo, Sumatra, the Philippines, Burma, Siam, Cochin-China, 
Equatorial Africa, North Australia, etc., being still botanically unexplored. 
The Rotangs or Palm Lianes, including in this category, besides Calamus, the other 
scandent Lepidocaryee, such as Daemonorops, Korthalsia, Plectocomia, &e., form one of 
the striking features of the virgin tropical forests of the Old World. In America 
climbing palms, though represented by several species of Desmoncus, are far less 
abundant than in Asia and Indonesia. 
The Rotangs are never gregarious, but always grow isolated in the forest, and 
none of the species are ever so abundant as to give a special character to the 
forest vegetation. In certain localities, however, especially in deep valleys where 
the soil is rich in humus at the foot of the mountains, several species of ‘Calamus 
may often be found growing in company within a very limited area, and J recollect 
having collected about 20 species of Palm Lianes ( Calamus and Daemonorops) in 
narrow valley at the base of Mount Mattang in Borneo. | 
The graceful fronds of Calami may often be seen arching downward from trees 
nd rocks along the banks of rivers, but generally Palms of this kind prefer the deep 
shade of the primitive forest of the plains and of the slopes of the mountains, some 
times reaching their tops when these do not exceed 1,500-1,800 metres in elevation, 
Rotangs are never to be niet with in the secondary forest, or in that which grows 
up after the primary forest has been destroyed. C. salicifolius and €. tonkinensis, 
two Cochin-Chinese species, are perhaps an exception to this rule, for they apparently 
grow in open situations and consequently have less of a forestal character than other 
Calami; they are not scandent but bushy, and their leaves are of firm texture and 
have a glaucous appearance. 
A few non-scandent species of Calamus form part of the undergrowth of the great 
forests, along with several other Palms. Among these may be enumerated €. castaneus, 
€. Grifühianus, C. bacularis, C. Lobbianus, C. iy C, eins C. ramosissimas 
and probably a few others. | sal a 
