Abstract: The stem epidermal characters of 21 species belonging to three genera (Calamus, Daemonorops, Plectocomia) from China were investigated. The results show that the arrangement of epidermal cells, stomatal types and occurrence of reflective body are of taxonomic significance. Based on these features, epidermal cells of rattan stems can be divided into three types and three subtypes. (1) Plectocomia-type: epidermal cells rectangle, wall-like arranged; stomata tetracytic, found in P.himalayana Griff., P.microstachys Burret. (2) Daemonorops-type: epidermal cells irregularly quadrilateral, net-like arranged; stomata tetracytic, found in D. margaritae(Hance) Becc., D. jenkinsiana (Griff.) Mart. (3) Calamus-type: Subtype A: epidermal cells hexagonal, net-like arranged; stomata tetracytic or paracytic, found in C. henryanus Becc., C. tetradactylus Hance, C. viminalis Willd. var. fasciculatus(Roxb.) Becc., C. flagellum Griff., C. gracilis Roxb., C. dioicus Lour., C. melanoloma Mart., C. yunnanensis S. J. Pei et S. Y. Chen, C. nambariensis Becc. var. yingjiangensis S. J. Pei et S. Y. Chen, C. multinervis Becc., C. nambariensis Becc. var. xishuangbannaensis S. J. Pei et S. Y. Chen, C. balansaeanus Becc. Subtype B: epidermal cells rectangle, wall-like arranged, with the long axes parallel to stem axes; stomata shuttle tetracytic, found in C. australis Mart., C. bonianus Becc., C. rhabdocladus Burret, C. compsostachys Burret. Subtype C: epidermal cells rectangle, anticlinal wall curved, wall-like arranged, with the long axes parallel to stem axes, found in C. caryatoides Becc. In addition, the taxonomic implications of epidermal characters are dis-cussed. It is possible to distinguish Calamus and Daemonorops by stem epidermal characters.

Key words: Rattan stem, Epidermal cells, Stomata, Taxonomic implications, Calamus,