AGRICULTURAL  BULLETIN 
OF  THE 
STRAITS 
AND 
FEDERATED  MALAY  STATES. 
No.  5.] 
MAY,  1903. 
[\  OL.  n. 
RATTANS — [Concluded) . 
The  genus  Doemonorops  includes  two  groups,  the  Cymbospathse 
with  very  short  panicles  of  flowers  which  are  at  first  enclosed  in 
boatshaped  spiny  bracts^  and  the  Piptospathce  in  which  the  inflor- 
escence is  much  longer,  and  not  entirely  enclosed  in  the  first  outer 
bract.  These  plants  have  stems  shorter  than  the  Calami^  and 
none  are  as  thin  as  some  of  the  latter,  nor  are  they  considered  as 
valuable  to  the  rattan  collector.  They  fruit  heavily  and  as  they 
are,  as  a rule,  not  collected  for  trade  purposes,  and  so  not  exter- 
minated, several  species  are  among  the  most  abundant  in  our 
forests. 
Among  them  are  Rotan  Sabut,  or  Rotan  Buah  Doemonorops 
Hysfrix]  Rotan  Getah  or  Rotan  Hudang,  *Z).  Didymophyllus]  Ro- 
tan Kerai,  Kamunting,  Gulang,  D.  creniculatus',  Rotan  Dudok,  Ma- 
chap,  D.  longipes. 
-Several  of  the  species  have  in  the  fruit  scales  a peculiar  red 
resin,  known  as  Dragon’s  blood,  an'd  such  rattans  are  known  as 
Rotan  Jerenang. 
Rotan  Sabut,  Doemonorops  hystrix  is  a very  common  stout  rattan 
30  or  40  feet  long,  with  long  pinnate  leaves  with  narrow  leaflets, 
armed  with  a long  thorny  flagellum.  The  stem  is  very  thorny  and 
the  mouth  of  the  sheath  armed  with  very  large  erect  flat  thorns 
3 inches  long,  by  which  it  is  easily  known.  The  flower  and  fruit 
sprays  are  very  long,  and  it  produces  great  masses  of  light  yellow 
oblong  fruits. 
The  cane  is  about  half  an  inch  long  with  joints  four  inches  in 
length.  1 doubt  if  it  comes  into  trade  to  any  extent  but  is  used 
for  rigging  of  ships,  split  rattan  and  other  purposes  of  this  nature. 
The  Rotan  Kerai  or  Gulang,  D.  geniculatus  is  a shorter  very 
stout  rattan  with  an  exceedingly  thorny  stem,  covered  with  long 
yellow  thorns.  The  long  leaves  have  the  leaflets  in  groups  with  a 
space  between.  It  is  very  abundant  in  our  forests,  and  is  usually 
about  15  or  20  feet  long.  The  cane  is  over  half  an  inch  through, 
the  joints  7 inches  apart  and  thick.  'I'his  makes  good  walking 
sticks  but  does  not  seem  to  be  much  in  request. 
The  Korthalsias  are  recognized  by  their  peculiar  cuneate  leaves 
usually  white  underneath  and  the  subterminal  inflorescence  of 
