Rattans or canes, the climbing palms of the family arecaceae form one of the most useful forest resources, utilised for the manufacture of a wide variety of furniture and articles of decoration. They provide gainful employment to many people in rural and remote areas, praticularly among the tribal people. Western Ghats of southern peninsular India with its rich tropical evergreen rain forests, form one of the few ideal habitats in India for these plants to flourish. There are about 25 species of Calamus known from South India. During the recent years, large scale extraction of Rattans coupled with deforestation for various other activities have caused alarming depletion of the natural populations of these plants. Conservation, protection and mass multiplication are some of the methods needed to be undertaken urgently to maintain a sustainable resource base for these valuable plants. On order to undertake these activities scientifically, a proper understanding of the identity, morphological peculiarities, distribution and population structure of these plants is the first basic necessity, which alone can give the researcher the basic clues for understanding the genetic diversity. In this respect the present work which treats taxonomically 19 species of canes found in South India, assumes great importance as a commendable basic step. The Kerala Forest Research Institute has been surveying and studying the rattan resources of South India since 1983. The long field experience and research by the author and her colleagues has resulted in this comprehensive taxonomic account of Calamus in Kerala. This work provides key to the species for their correct identity, detailed descriptions and distributions. It also throws light on the rarity of several species leading to the endangered status.
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