Calamus deerratus Mann & H.Wendl.

Clustering, high-climbing, spiny palm to 20 m. or more in length.. Stems branching sympodially at the base, without sheaths 7–30 mm. in diameter; internodes 8–20 cm. long.. Leaf-sheaths very varied in armature from almost unarmed to densely spiny, with a marked knee below the petiole; spines black, flattened, up to 3 cm. long, occasionally seriate, interspersed with brown or grey indumentum; sometimes with clusters of upward pointing spines around the leaf-sheath mouth; ocrea present and usually conspicuous, dry, papyraceous, tongue-shaped, then splitting and becoming bilobed, to 12 cm. long, usually less, armed with spines, often paler and more bristle-like than those on the leaf-sheath or rarely unarmed.. Leaves ecirrate, to 1.75 m. long, usually less, with petiole to 20 cm.; petiole rounded abaxially, channelled adaxially, ± 5 mm. broad, variously armed with large black spines to 3 cm. long and small recurved black hooks; rachis triangular in section distally; leaflets ± concolorous, numerous, up to 30 on each side of the rachis, subequidistant to equidistant below, in most populations grouped in 3’s to 5’s distally, up to 35 cm. long by 2 cm. wide, widest about 1/3 distance from insertion, tapering to a long tip, the margins and main vein bristly throughout, somewhat plicate with up to 9 prominent secondary nerves, and prominent sinuous lateral veins.. Flagellum to 2 m. long by 4 mm. wide at the base, decreasing very gradually above, armed with small recurved hooks.. Male and ♀ inflorescences similar, to 2 m. long, with 1–4 partial inflorescences and a long terminal sterile flagellum; axis and bracts armed throughout with reflexed, solitary or grouped black spines; bracts tightly sheathing, up to 70 cm. long with an expanded, somewhat papyraceous limb ± 5 cm. long; partial inflorescences to 40 cm. long, with up to 15 or more rachillae on each side, subtended by bracts ± 2 cm. long (1 cm. exposed), with mouths ± 7 mm. wide and with a short triangular limb to 4 mm.; rachillae up to 7 cm. long, usually arcuate, arranged distichously; bracts distichous, closely approximate, dull brown in colour, somewhat ciliate-hairy around the mouth.. Male flowers solitary, distichous, with minute involucre to 1 mm. long; calyx 4 mm. long, tubular for 3/4 of its length, with 3 short, triangular, striate lobes; corolla-lobes to 7 mm. long by 2 mm. wide, joined at the base for ± 1 mm., widely diverging at anthesis; stamens to 4 mm. long, minutely epipetalous, with filaments to 3 mm. long, anthers ± 3 mm. long, medifixed; pollen yellow.. Sterile ♂ flower very similar to fertile ♂ but slightly shorter and narrower.. Female flower with calyx tubular at first and then splitting as the ovary increases in size, lobes ± 3 mm. long; corolla-lobes ± 5 × 2 mm., with 6 minutely epipetalous flattened staminodes; ovary ± 5 mm. long by 2.5 mm. wide, tipped by 3 stigmas ± 1 mm. long, markedly recurved at anthesis.. Fruit to 1.5 cm., by 1 cm. with a short beak to 2 mm. tipped by the stylar remains, with (15–17–18(–20) vertical rows of dull, pale brown scales, edged with darker brown.. Seed somewhat flattened laterally, ± 9 × 8 × 5 mm., with sarcotesta ± 1 mm. thick when dry, somewhat grooved, with homogeneous endosperm and basal embryo.. Fig. 8.

A tropical plant. It grows to the top of forest trees in wet forest in West Africa. It grows along river banks. It suits hardiness zone 10a.

The tips of the stems are eaten raw or roasted as a vegetable.

It can be grown from seeds. The fleshy layer should be removed. Sections of the rhizome can be used.