Feather development non-nervous. They have a tubular central shaft called the rachis; coming off either side of the rachis are the veins, which have a series of barbs with interlocking connections that are called barbules. The rachis and attached veins make up the spathe. The opposite of the rachis is the calamus, which anchors the feather to the body and is moved by attached dermal muscles. There are many different types of feathers that mostly follow this basic design with few variations based on evolutionary needs. Feathers are sometimes referred to as “elaborate reptile scales” just as birds are sometimes viewed as
Calamus caryotoides 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." 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 () flexible trunks; no crownshaft; small spikes; dark green, glossy, fish-tail shaped leaves reaching up to high ( 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