Calamus viminalis Willd.

Stems clustered, climbing or often forming thickets, to 35 m, to 4 cm in diam. Leaf sheaths green with dense covering of grayish or brownish hairs, with scattered, greenish or brownish, triangular, flattened spines to 4.5 cm; ocreas present; knees present; flagella to 5 m; rachis to 1.3 m with 32-55 lanceolate pinnae per side, these gray-green, distinctly clustered and spreading in different planes, apical ones usually smaller than others; middle pinnae 15-35 cm, 1-1.5 cm wide at mid-point, adaxial and abaxial main vein prominently bristly; cirri absent. Inflorescences to 3 m, flagellate; inflorescence bracts tubular. Fruits whitish or yellowish, globose, to 1 cm in diam., sometimes borne in pairs.

A tropical plant. It grows in tropical and warm temperate regions. In Asia it grows from sea level to 600 m altitude. It grows in open areas and near streams. It suits hardiness zones 11-12. In Yunnan.

The shoots are cooked and used as a vegetable in curry. The ripe fruit are eaten raw.

Plants can be grown by seeds or suckers.