Calamus caryotoides
# Calamus caryotoides

Calamus caryotoides (also Palmijuncus caryotoides), more commonly known as fishtail lawyer cane is a North-East Queensland tropical forest climbing palm with very thin (12 mm [15⁄32 in]) flexible trunks; no crownshaft; small spikes; dark green, glossy, fish-tail shaped leaves reaching up to 15 m (50 ft) high (5 m [16 ft] spread); and very thin hooked flagella.

It tends to clump and grow up into the shaded understory of Queensland's wet tropical forests, and is a close relative of the more infamous Calamus radicalis (aka Wait-a-While).

The Cairns Botanical Gardens records local Yidinydji, Yirrganyydji, Djabuganydji, and Gungganydji use Calamus caryotoides (also known to Yidinydji as Bugul, pronounced BOOK-KOOL) as follows:

   The thin flexible trunks of this (and other) climbing palm made ideal building frames, or rope and string when split. The young shoots were eaten to cure headaches.
